The Black Twins
by mel92
Summary: Albus’ plan failed, the war was lost. But his forgotten brother, Aberforth has a plan too. A not entirely normal plan, but then Aberforth isn't really normal. Ladies and Gentleman hold onto your broomsticks, the Black twins are coming to Hogwarts MWPP era
1. Prologue

The Black Twins

**The Black Twins**

Albus's plan failed, the war was lost. But his forgotten brother, Aberforth, has a plan too, a plan 'B', a plan that no normal person would even imagine, much less put into action. Then again; Aberforth has never really been normal. His plan, however, had consequences not even he could imagine, and it slipped and twisted from his grasp, laughing wildly as it dove into the realms of chaos. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your broomsticks, the Black twins are coming to Hogwarts. MWPP era.

A/N

For the purposes of this story Dorea and Charlus Potter died in 1961, Mm-kay?

I do not own Harry Potter.

More info on the story at the bottom of this chapter, but you have to read it first :)

**TBT**

Aberforth's shoulders slumped in defeat; he sat in the Hog's head in front of the dying fire with a glass of the strongest beverage he owned. Dragon Spit, the drink was called, and it was no wonder, Aberforth would spit it out too if he was thinking clearly. But he wasn't, instead he was sitting slumped with one hand covering his face, just as the sun began to peak over the horizon.

The battle was over, and the Boy-Who-Lived was no more. His famous brother's master plan had failed… and Hogwarts had fallen. It wouldn't be long now before they came to Hogsmeade too, the Death Eaters would probably burn his lovely pub to the ground. Either that or Aberforth himself would, there was no way he'd let Death Eaters into his pub.

Aberforth sighed sadly and leaned back, gazing up at the dimly lit ceiling. He was and old man now, over a hundred years old. He thought he'd seen all the evil in this world, apparently not… that poor child. He'd had such an unhappy life, such an unfair life… he hadn't deserved it… to have everything taken from him like that. He should have had a happy life, one with his family, should have been carefree like his father. His father…

Ahh… Aberforth still remembered the first time James Potter and his friends came to the Hog's Head. It had taken him ages to get rid of those sunflowers… James had though the pub needed brightening up. James Potter, now he had had a good life. He had loving parents who spoiled him rotten, he was a pure-blood, he was rich, he was smart and popular, and he'd great friends… well apart from that murdering, traitor _Black_. Harry's own godfather betraying his best friend to the Dark Lord, it was horrendous, but it was life. And wishing it would change wouldn't do any good… _huh, good_…. like there was any _good_ left in the world… With Harry Potter's death the war will most certainly go downhill from here, the Order's likely to be disbanded by now… _maybe I should move to Australia_…

Aberforth raised the glass once more to his mouth, and took a long deep swig, before closing his eyes. If only he could change it, could somehow give Harry a better life, one like his father's… Aberforth snorted grimly, the only way that would happen was if Harry somehow became James's brother…

Aberforth's eyes snapped open and he stared unseeing at the glowing coals in the fireplace, his mind whirling. Remembering, recalling an amulet locked away in his Gringotts vault. A special, magical amulet that would allow him to–

Aberforth shut off that train of thought. No he couldn't, it's against the law. The rules have time travel clearly state that you are not allowed to meddle, and that would definitely be meddling…

Aberforth stared down at his now empty glass… perhaps the drink was getting to him… but he'd never really been one to play by the rules.

**TBT**

Aberforth stood in front of the long mirror in his rented room at the Leaky Cauldron. He was wearing his black travelling cloak and robes, with his wooden and knobbly walking stick in one hand, and a glowing amber amulet in the other. It had taken a while to get the Amulet of Time from the Gringotts Wizarding Bank, something about a dragon escaping…

Now that he was here, ready to leave, he wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do. It wasn't too late to go to Australia, maybe he should just back out now while he was still able. It wasn't as if this was any of his business, he wasn't responsible, it wasn't his fault the world was doomed…_But if I have a chance to change the fate of the world, and I don't take it, it __**would**__ make it my fault._ Aberforth groaned in indecision, this wasn't his kind of thing; he usually left all the crazed, manipulative meddling to Albus.

Aberforth growled as he glared at the amulet, he ground his teeth, and clenched his fist tightly around his trusty stick. Setting his jaw determinedly, he raised the Amulet of Time up.

"_1981_," he said clearly, if slightly melodramatically, well it was changing the fate of the world. Aberforth turned the amulet over once in his hand, it began to glow, bathing the room in amber light.

"_November_," the amulet shone brighter, and grew warm in his hand as he turned it a second time. Aberforth could feel the power radiating off it.

"_The first_," a third turn and the Amulet of Time emitted the brightest light yet, the amber magic surrounded Aberforth, consuming him. Light spilled out of the small window, and lit up the crack under the door, it grew so bright it was impossible to look at. Then, all of a sudden it was gone, collapsing in on its self and disappearing, taking the hundred year old man with it.

**TBT**

When the light faded, air burst through into Aberforth's lungs, and he bent over gasping for breath_. Merlin, I thought it would never end_, standing up straight, and using the walking stick for support Aberforth took stock of his surroundings. He was in the same room of the Leaky Cauldron in front of the mirror, but it looked different somehow.

"Whoa! Where'd you spring from, eh?" his reflection wheezed peering out from the mirror, and blinking in amazement. Aberforth ignored it, hurriedly putting the amulet away in his pocket. Grasping his stick firmly, he limped over to the door and exited the room. As soon as Aberforth was out in the hallway the sounds of celebration reached his ears; that was a good sign. Thumping down the stairs he reached the main room, where a large group of brightly robed wizards were drinking around the bar, even though it looked to be only 10:00 am.

The noise in the pub was inconceivable, there were people Flooing in and out, owls flying back and forth, and everywhere people were talking excitedly, over the top of one another, as each witch or wizard tried to make themselves heard. Aberforth scowled at the crowd, he would _never_ let his pub be treated in this way. Pushing his way through the crowd, sometimes using his stick to make people move, he made his way to the bar. A stack of newspapers were piled on one side, and Aberforth shoved past a laughing wizard, who was perhaps just a bit drunk, and reached for a Daily Prophet.

One look gave him all the answers he needed, it read;

**1****st**** of November, 1981.**

**YOU-KNOW-WHO DEFEATED! HARRY POTTER, BOY-WHO-LIVED!**

Aberforth grunted and folded the paper back up, his eyes unfocused–

"Gahh! Whatth–?!" Aberforth jumped back in surprise, using the Prophet to angrily bat away a confused owl that had whacked him in the face. It flew off again over the noisy crowd, hooting in indignation. Aberforth scowled after it, and began to once more push his way through the crowd, muttering under his breath.

"Stupid owl… probably drunk too…MOVE IT YOU LUNATIC! ...Ruddy birds… never liked them…"

**TBT**

Aberforth brooded in his room for the rest of the day. There was no point in going to Little Whinging yet, Harry wouldn't arrive there until that evening, and Aberforth would be damned if he was going to sit there all day like a bloody cat. So he waited in the comfort of his room, away from the insanity of the Wizarding World.

He wasn't just rushing this; he did have a proper plan. So while he waited in his room Aberforth pooled together all his knowledge of the Potter family, and wrote a letter that would explain everything, this letter Aberforth intended to leave with the boy. He was sorry that the Potter seniors had had to die again, but Harry still needed to be the Boy-Who-Lived. _Besides, if my plan works it won't matter, will it?_

Speaking of his plan it was time to put it into action. Groaning he got up from his comfy armchair, listening as his bones cracked. Taking up his knobbly walking stick again, and making sure he had both the amulet and the letter safely in his pocket, Aberforth once again hobbled out of the room.

**TBT **

Much to his displeasure he had to take the Knight Bus to Little Whinging, because he'd never been there before and was therefore unable to Apparate. The bus dropped him off at a nearby park, and Aberforth gladly exited.

"Maniacs like you shouldn't be allowed on the roads," he grumbled, more to himself then to the driver. The purple door slid shut behind him, and the three-decker bus shot off with a bang.

Aberforth huffed and drew his cloak closer around him, his breath coming out as fog. Changing his grip on his walking stick he set off from the park towards Privet Drive, trudging across the cold ground._ Bloody Merlin, it's about cold enough to start snowing. _

A rumbling noise distracted Aberforth, getting closer by the second. For a moment he thought it was a muggle car, but then realised the sound was coming from above. He looked up in time to see a Flying Motorbike go overhead, with the Half-giant Hogwarts Groundskeeper riding it. Blowing out the cold air again, Aberforth continued in the direction the bike flew.

Eventually he reached the right street. He knew it was the right one because all the light suddenly returned to it. Also the newly lit signpost said so. The Flying Motorbike passed overhead again, this time heading back in the opposite direction, and Aberforth heard the distinct sounds of Apparition as his brother and Minerva McGonagall left. Privet Drive returned to normal, a lonely dog howled in the distance, and an insect of some sort chirped in a nearby bush.

Aberforth gave a hacking cough, seeming to remind the street that it wasn't back to normal yet; and clearing his throat before continuing down the street. The cold night air was starting to sink into his bones, despite the thick black cloak.

"Useless, cheap garment…should've stayed in bed…always hated Mondays…" he grumbled as he tramped down the paved path. Stopping a short way down at Number Four, his gaze instantly settled on the small bundle on the doorstep. Harry Potter.

_It's not too late to turn back yet, maybe I should just walk away, who am I to meddle with fate anyway? _

Aberforth frowned at these thoughts, he was not going to chicken out now, "Come too far for that," he cleared his throat again noisily and opened the little side gate. Stubbornly hobbling towards the small bundle on the doorstep, Aberforth peered down at the recent saviour of the Wizarding World. The boy was asleep, but the lightning bolt scar on his forehead stood out clearly. Albus's letter to the Dursleys was tucked under the blue blanket.

Aberforth breathed in and out reassuring himself that this was the right thing to do. But he couldn't help the horrible feeling he had in the pit of his stomach, that twinge of doubt in the back of his mind. But still he brought his wand out, tapping his walking stick lightly. It vibrated in his hand for a moment, before shrinking down small enough to put in his pocket along with his wand. Then with a groan Aberforth bent down laboriously, and picked up the bundle that was the Boy-Who-Lived. He stared at the baby for a moment, _yes Harry did deserve a better life_ and Aberforth was going to give it to him.

Aberforth took hold of his brother's letter and discarded it, unceremoniously throwing it aside, the letter fluttered down and landed in one of the Hydrangeas. Aberforth then replaced it with his own letter, tucking it securely next to Harry. He pulled out the Amulet of Time once more, holding Harry in one arm. Before he lost his nerve, he began.

"_1961_," turning the amulet over in his hand and the amber light began to shine once more.

"_November_,"

"_The first_,"

How was Aberforth to know that the amulet was only supposed to transport one person at a time? That it wouldn't have enough power to properly transport both of them? That the Amulet of Time would overheat burning his hand, as it tried to use more power then it had. And that consequently, in Aberforth's surprise, his grip would loosen on young Harry, and the amber light would whisk the boy away from his grasp and into the unknown? How was he to know that everything would go so wrong, before it had barely started?

**TBT**

Aberforth bent over with pain and gasped for breath, it felt like his entire body was on fire. Then his mind caught up with the shock and he realised what had happened, what he'd _done! No! NonononononoNO! _S_tupid_! _How could I be so stupid, so idiotic, useless, pathetic, so BLOODY STUDIP!_ _I'm a foolish bumbling excuse for an old man, why did I ever think it would work? _

He began to feel choked up with the horror of it, _I've lost the Boy-Who-Lived, Merlin I've probably flipping killed the poor thing! Is he still alive; is he even in this blooming time period? I don't know! I have no idea! WHY DIDN'T IT WORK? _His thoughts were becoming jumbled as panic set into his being. He clenched his hand in anger and something hard and sharp stabbed him, Aberforth looked down in surprise at his shaking, wrinkled hands, a trail of blood was leaking down one side. He opened it slowly to reveal the Amulet of Time, now shattered and useless, a shard of amber wedged in his hand. As Aberforth stared down at it, he could feel in his eyes becoming wet. _Why? I try to do one good thing, and look what happens, useless piece of junk. _Despairingly Aberforth let it fall onto the long dark grass he was standing on.

It was then he looked around his surroundings properly. Privet Drive was gone, Aberforth suspected it hadn't been built yet, but there were the beginnings of buildings not far from here. He was currently standing on an empty lot, and there was no sign of baby Harry anywhere.

**TBT**

The Amulet of Time is a mysterious and ancient artefact, so ancient that its true name had been shortened and forgotten, in actuality it was the Amulet of Time and _Space_. Capable of travelling the space between one time and another, but space, can also be another name for distance. If at any time during transit, the holder lets go of the amulet, they can be whisked off on a tangent to anywhere in time and space. Depending on how soon they let go determines the distance of the detour, from their intended time and destination. From example, Aberforth let go of Harry near the end of the journey, when the amulet burned his hand while overloading. Harry was whipped away on a tangent, and landed a few fair miles away, and a couple of days after Aberforth.

Where he did land, was complete chance. Fate. Pure luck, though which kind of luck is still being debated. But just because it wasn't likely, didn't mean it couldn't happen, it was improbable, _not_ impossible.

**TBT**

Orion Black frowned heavily as he gazed out the window, ignoring his wife who was ranting.

"Walburga," he said sharply, still looking out the window but effectively halting her tirade. He stood silently again waiting till he had her full attention.

"What?" Walburga Black spat, annoyed at being interrupted.

"_Why_ is there a _baby_ in the middle of the _street_?" he asked slowly. It was probably the last thing she expected him to say.

"Err…What?"

Abruptly Orion turned on his heel way from the window and strode out of the dining room, his wife hurrying after him through the entry hall and out the front door. It was rare that the Blacks ever went out onto the street, too many Muggles and commoners for that. But the pair had just had another child a few months ago, so 'parental instincts' were still high in their systems….or maybe they just felt it was _their right_ to know what was going on.

And indeed, it was a child_, about the same age as my first-born son_, Orion realised when he reached the small bundle crying in the middle of the road. He regarded the baby, the only emotion on his face was a slight frown in his heavy eyebrows, but his curiosity was piked when he spotted a letter, tucked in next to the boy. Walburga appeared next to him, nostrils flared as she observed the little bundle with obvious distaste.

Making a decision Orion bent over to take the letter, leaving the baby squalling on the ground. It had no address or name on it, so he turned it over and ripped it open. Unfolding the parchment he began to read, his frown growing more pronounced by the second. Walburga sneered at the babe, _probably a filthy Muggle_; she was tempted to kick the darn thing just to make it shut up. _They should just turn around, go back inside now and leave it here to die. _

"Horrible, disgusting, _filth_!" she muttered darkly.

"He's not a Muggle," Orion rumbled looking as if in deep thought, "He's a pure-blood, actually."

Instantly Walburga's demeanour changed and her jaw dropped in indignation. _What! Who in their right mind would leave this poor baby in the middle of a street, to perish in a neighbourhood of Muggles?! _

"And a descended of a Black, if I'm not mistaken,"

"W-WHAT!" Walburga choked, unable to believe it.

"Dorea is your aunt, is she not?" Walburga nodded dumbly, "Well she married Charlus Potter, and it seems that this," Orion gestured to the babe, "Is her son. And your cousin," he added as an afterthought.

Walburga stared at her husband for a moment in pure outrage, before swooping down and scooping the bundle up in her arms defiantly. Orion said nothing but instead looked back at the letter.

Eventually he continued, "It seems that this letter was meant for Harold Potter, you know Charlus's brother? I know that Dorea and Charlus died six months ago, but I wasn't aware that they'd had a son."

"It was a mistake for her to marry a Potter in the first place!"

"Yes, you've said,"

"Then she had to go and get herself killed!"

"Hmm," Orion gritted his teeth as his wife began to grind on his nerves once again.

"She didn't even have the decency to tell us she'd had a child! Disgraceful!"

"Indeed."

"Why on earth is the boy even here?"

"I don't have all the answers Walburga!" Orion snapped, finally losing his patience with her, "But the letter says he was meant to go live with the Potters!"

Walburga paled visibly and said in a horrified whisper, "Those blood-traitors? Never! Mother would turn in her grave!"

"Exactly!" they fell into a brooding silence

"Hmm," Orion grimaced in thought, his brow was furrowed. Walburga glanced at her husband, knowing that he was thinking about something important.

"I doubt many people know about Dorea and Charlus having a son," he started, speaking so lowly Walburga had to lean in to hear him, "And with most of the family abroad still, not many people know about Sirius either…"

Now Walburga was confused, "What are you getting at?"

Orion turned to Walburga, a strange, intense look in his dark eyes, "We could take him in, and no one would be the wiser," The wheels were turning in his mind as he thought over his plan, and he cut Walburga off before she could object, "Sirius is about his age, we could pretend they're twins. _And_ if anyone _did_ guess the truth, we could just say we adopted him, and tell the person to keep quiet about it. Or better yet Obliviate them." He stared at his wife again, daring her to find a problem, to object.

Walburga hesitated, pursing her lips. She could see the determination in Orion's eyes, and knew nothing she said would change his mind. Besides… it wasn't a bad idea…

"What's his name?" she asked suddenly, looking down at the now sleeping child. A fresh-looking scar was shining on his forehead, Walburga wondered how he got it, it looked like a curse scar of a sort.

"Harry." Orion said, his voice deep as he also looked down at the boy, "Harry Potter."

Walburga huffed, _awfully common sounding name, but still…_

"No, it's Harry Black." she haughtily corrected him.

**TBT**

A/N

Here's some more information on the story, as I always like to know if it's going to be something worth reading or not.

_The Black Twins_ will be Harry growing up in this era as Sirius's twin.

It will be a long story. Pre-Hogwarts, Hogwarts years 1-7, and Post Hogwarts

Rated M for violence, language, sexual references (But not until they're older, duh)

Probably not slash: but is possible, I haven't decided yet

In fact no pairings have been decided yet, they're only babies!

This chapter is only the prologue, others will be longer.

Will incorporate the some cannon, but everything will always be slightly AU due to Harry's presence.

Thanx for reading, and please tell me what you think!


	2. One Hell of a Day PART1

The Black Twins

**The Black Twins**

Albus's plan failed, the war was lost. But his forgotten brother, Aberforth, has a plan too, a plan 'B', a plan that no normal person would even imagine, much less put into action. Then again; Aberforth had never really been normal. His plan, however, had consequences that not even he could imagine, and it slipped and twisted from his grasp, laughing wildly as it dove into the realms of chaos. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your broomsticks, the Black twins are coming to Hogwarts. MWPP era.

A/N

Thanx so much everyone for your reviews! : D

**Answer time** – Aberforth wrote a letter where he pretended that Harry was the son of the late Dorea and Charlus Potter.

– Harry was meant to go and live with Charlus's brother Harold Potter and his wife, but he got lost and was instead adopted by Walburga and Orion Black.

– Harold Potter is James Potter's Father; Aberforth's plan was for Harry to live as James's brother.

Which means Charlus Potter is James's uncle.

I didn't want to change Harry's name, as Lady Salazar said, because I don't want him to turn into an OC.

There are going to be some flashbacks in this chapter. Also just so people know, although Harry is in the past, he is still the Boy-Who-Lived and still has the connection to Voldemort.

I don't own Harry Potter… Harry Black on the other hand…; )

ON WITH THE STORY… One Hell of a Day PART 1

**TBT**

"Harry…"

"Har-ry,"

"Harry, wake up!"

The ten year old in question, merely groaned, and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head.

"HarryHarryHarryHarryHarryHarryHar–"

"Siri shut up," Harry whined to his twin, his voice muffled by the pillow, "Merlin… what time is it?"

"Time to wake up!"

"It must be about… six in the morning,"

"Five actually," Sirius Black happily informed him, far too happily in Harry's opinion.

Harry groaned again, "Nooo…sleep… dreams… Kreacher gimme my marshmallows…" He began to drift off, something Sirius seemed determined to prevent. Harry was jolted from his sleep once more, when an annoying _someone_ started jumping up and down on his bed.

"Wakey, Wakey! Rise and shiny! Harry, Harry, time too-ooh get uuh-uup!" Sirius began singing. Harry moved the pillow so he could glare at him balefully with one eye, fixing his bouncing twin with a look that would make his mother proud.

Sirius took no notice, at least until Harry got fed up had threw the pillow at him. Unfortunately Sirius managed to catch it; he poked his tongue out at Harry and continued his 'Wake up' song, now holding the pillow above his head like a trophy. Harry growled in frustration.

"Fine! You want me up? Then I'll get up!" Harry roared, throwing back the bed covers and launching himself at Sirius, taking his twin by surprise. The two of them crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs, Harry managed to wrestle the pillow from a laughing Sirius and began to repeatedly hit him with it. Still laughing Sirius attempted to shield his head from the blows

"I'll – show – you!" Harry gritted out, hitting his brother with the pillow between every word, though he was smiling, "wake me up at five a.m. will you? Take that!" Harry's smile faltered, when he noticed Sirius grinning evilly at him.

"Uh-oh…ARRG!"

In one huge heave Sirius turned the tables on Harry, literally. Using his superior strength he flipped Harry over, and pinned him down. Harry struggled, but to no avail as Sirius just sat on his stomach, effectively trapping him.

Sirius grinned maddeningly down at Harry, "I win," he gloated.

"Only 'cause you're fat, now get off!"

Relenting; he rolled off him, "I am not," Sirius pouted.

"Yes you are," Harry stated, sitting up cross legged on the floor.

"Am not,"

"Are too,"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

"You're just scrawny,"

"Are to– hey! I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

In truth; Sirius was about an inch taller then Harry. Sirius was the slightly stronger of the two as well; he had black shaggy hair that fell casually into his grey-blue eyes. Harry also had black hair that ended just below his ears, but it was much messier then his twin's, and stuck up at the back. His fringe flowed to one side of his face, but his emerald green eyes were a striking feature in his face, just as much as the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. He was the smaller of the two, but was wiry and fast. He also would've had glasses, but thanks to his father he didn't….

–FLASHBACK–

"…What do you mean you can't read that?" Sirius asked his brother confused. They were five-years old and sitting in the drawing room, Sirius was pointing at the Black motto above the Family Tree Tapestry, while Harry was looking just as confused as his twin.

"Wait…you mean you can read it?" Harry asked with wide eyes, "All the way up there?"

"Yeah," Sirius frowned, looking from the motto; _Always Pure_, to his brother and back again. "Why, what does it look like to you?"

"Err… all blurred and a bit doubled I guess…"

Sirius and Harry fell silent as they contemplated this new revelation. After a moment Harry spoke.

"Maybe, we should go talk to Father," Harry suggested, still a bit shaken. Sirius readily agreed and they both ran out to the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. They kept their eyes on their feet on the way down, refusing to look at the horrible, shrunken, house-elf heads that adorned the wall. They were scary, and neither of the five-year olds could look at them without shuddering.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase Sirius and Harry turned into the dining room where they knew their Father would be. Sure enough, the imposing and fierce man that was their Father sat in one of the ornate, dark-green leather chairs, in his silver lined robes. He was pouring over some parchment, frowning intently at the scrawled writing. Sirius and Harry hesitated when they saw him, and exchanged a nervous look; it was _not_ a good idea to interrupt their Father when he was busy. In an unspoken agreement they began to back quietly out of the room. But some movement must have alerted Orion Black to their presence, because he looked up sharply, his dark eyes capturing his sons and freezing them in place.

"Yes?" he rumbled, not moving his gaze from them. Harry shifted nervously from foot to foot, now he wasn't so sure about this, but his father was waiting for an answer so Harry cleared his throat.

"Um…Well, Father… You see… It's probably nothing anyway but…erm…"

Sirius came to his twin's rescue, "Harry sees things blurred," he said bluntly, and Harry shot him a grateful look.

The room fell silent as Orion regarded the two boys, who were growing more anxious as every second past. Sirius fidgeted and stared resolutely at his feet as the tension thickened. Harry hesitantly met his Father's eyes, unsure of the man's reaction.

After what seemed an eternity, Orion raised a hand, "Harry," he addressed him, "How many fingers am I holding up?" he held up two.

Harry squinted from the other side of the room, "Err...f-four?" Orion scowled darkly and Sirius winced. Harry hurried to correct himself, "I-I mean three."

Slowly Orion put down his hand, then the parchment he'd been reading, and stood up. Sirius and Harry gulped and exchanged a worried look, _what was going to happen now? _Walking over to the twins, their Father towered over Harry, his cold eyes boring into him.

Without turning, Orion commanded, "Sirius, go play with your brother Regulus, Harry come with me."

The boys remained where they were, a flurry of thoughts and emotions rushing through them as the words sunk in, the panic at being separated rendering them frozen once more. _What! Why? Where's Harry going? Why can't Sirius come? What's going to happen? What's wrong with me?_

"Now!" Their Father boomed, and with one last apprehensive look over his shoulder, Sirius scampered away.

When he had gone, Harry looked up at the six foot tall man, not really knowing what to expect.

"Why haven't you told me about this before?" his Father asked frigidly.

Harry flushed, embarrassed, "I thought that… that everyone saw this way," he muttered, it sounded stupid even to his own ears. His Father grimaced, before sweeping out of the room.

"Follow me," he demanded, and Harry hastened after him. His Father led him through the gloomy house, and down the stairs that led to the kitchen. Harry's mother Walburga was off visiting her sister-in-law Druella Black, so the kitchen was empty.

"KREACHER!" Orion thundered suddenly, making Harry jump. A moment later there was the 'pop' of apparition and the simpering house-elf appeared, bowed down and nose on the floor.

"Master called Kreacher, sir?" Kreacher inquired, looking up at Orion with adoring eyes.

"Come with me," Orion ordered, "_You_ stay here," he said to Harry and moved off into the parlour, Kreacher scurrying behind him.

Orion knew that Harry probably needed glasses for his bad eye-sight, but the Blacks did not were glasses, they were a muggle invention and his family would have nothing to do with them. There was a way to repair eyesight magically, but not very many people used it since it was considered dark magic. But Orion Black had no such qualms about using it, or about the side effects that were bound to occur.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sirius was worried. He had come up here to play with Reg, his four year old brother, but was having trouble concentrating since his twin was occupying his thoughts. _We had done the right thing… right? Going to Father like that? But what if there is something wrong with Harry and Father takes him away? Is that why I couldn't come?_

Time past and Sirius grew progressively distracted from the game of Gobstones they were playing. Finally Regulus announced himself the winner triumphantly; Sirius gave him a weak smile and congratulations.

"Wanna play again?" Regulus asked cheerfully.

"Err...maybe some other time, Reg. I'm going to go find Harry,"

"Oh okay," the four-year old said, disappointed. But Sirius didn't notice, he was already half-way to the door.

Exiting Regulus's room, Sirius rushed to his own and Harry's room, reaching up for the handle and pushing open the door. Sirius and Harry's room was spacious and handsome, with two large single beds with carved wooden headboards. The walls were decorated with silvery grey silk and in the corner was a large wooden wardrobe. There was a tall window looking out onto the street, at present obscured by long velvet curtains, and the chandelier was unlit.

Confused as to why the room was dark, Sirius was unprepared for what he found inside. At the base of the bed, curled up with his arms huddled around his legs and tears falling unchecked down his face, was Harry. Sirius heart leapt to his throat in panic, _something was terribly wrong_, and the next thing he knew he was flying across the room to his brother.

"Harry!"

His twin's head shot up, and he dashed the tears from his face furiously, "S-Siri? Is that you?"

Dread and uncertainty was building up inside Sirius, "Of course it's me, what's the matter?"

Harry had his head turned towards Sirius, but his eyes were glazed over and he was looking slightly to Sirius's left, Harry uncurled his arm and groped the air around him.

"Where are you? I can't see you,"

"I'm right here," Sirius moved into Harry, taking hold of his shoulders and looking desperately at him, but the usually lively emerald eyes were blank. "What do you mean, what's happened to you?"

"Father," Harry revealed, beginning to tear up again, "h-he said that, i-it would make my eyes better, and that I'd see like everyone else soon. But- But until then I'd be…I'd be…blind…" Harry shuddered in Sirius's arms, unable to see them.

Sirius stared at his brother horrified, feeling an unfamiliar sense of unfairness welling up inside of him. He wanted to do something, to pick up something and throw it across the room, or to run downstairs and yell at everyone. He wanted Harry to look up and smile, say he was only joking and laugh because Sirius had fallen for the act. He had never really liked his parents, they were just kind of… there, but now he realised the feeling was anger, hate even.

"How dare they?" Sirius growled, feeling awfully useless as his brother tried once more to pull himself together. Biting his lip, he tried to not to scream and shout for his Father to come up and put Harry back to normal _right now!_ Instead Sirius lowered his voice, "How long?" he asked quietly.

"One week," Harry answered miserably.

"Can you see anything at all?"

"No, it's just all dark,"

"That – that," Sirius floundered for words, "Mean, old, evil–"

"I know,"

"I hate him!" Sirius declared darkly.

"I know, so do I."

It would be the last time they ever voluntarily went to their Father for help. That week the two boys grew closer then ever as Sirius guided Harry everywhere, and helped him up and down the stairs. Harry grew better at finding his way around without seeing, and at using his other senses to get by. Finally, the morning after the seventh night, Harry awoke to a new world, one like he'd never seen before.

–END FLASHBACK–

"So _why_ did you wake me up at this should-be-illegal time of the day?" Harry asked, melodramatically flopping back onto his bed and throwing his arm over his face.

"You honestly don't remember?" Sirius raised his eyebrows, still grinning. He sat down on the bed, albeit a little harder then necessary so that the mattress would once again bounce up and down.

"_No_," Harry sighed in exasperation and grumbled under his breath, "Annoying – bothersome – brothers, bloody – heartless – unsympathetic– "

"Oh quit complaining," Sirius waved his grumblings away, "you can't be a misery guts on our birthday,"

"Yes I bloody ca– Birthday! It's our birthday! Wahoo!" At once he was up and looking just as excited as Sirius.

"Yep! Ten-years old today,"

"The big 'One-Oh',"

"Double digits,"

"Double trouble," they both grinned deviously at this, imagining everything they would do today.

"Anyway, I was thinking that we could go down to the kitchen and make ourselves something, before Kreacher has a chance to try and poison us," Sirius said only half-jokingly, he certainly wouldn't put it past the dirty little toerag to slip something into their pumpkin juice.

"Hey great idea, we can make ourselves our own birthday treat," Harry schemed, his green eyes twinkling mischievously, already thinking of those treacle tarts downstairs. "Say, should we wake Reg up too?"

The smile slipped from Sirius's face and he scowled and looked away, purposefully avoiding Harry's gaze as he pretended to find his own bed very interesting. Harry soon realised his mistake; the day before Sirius and Regulus had some sort of argument while Harry was at the bathroom. He'd managed to get the gist of the fight; Regulus had suggested that Kreacher really wasn't _that_ bad, Sirius had disagreed… vehemently. Harry had thought the whole thing to be rather stupid, but refrained from saying so in case both his brothers took offence and turned on _him_. He'd hoped that the whole thing would just blow over, but it seemed not to be as Sirius could stubbornly hold a grudge for a long time.

Harry rolled his eyes exasperated, but changed the subject anyway, "Nah we should probably let him sleep in, _someone_ should at least get to," he hinted, trying to lighten the atmosphere, but Sirius still looked a bit sullen at the mention of their brother. Harry decided to go for a different tact.

"Race you!" he shouted, and shot out the door, leaving Sirius spluttering on the bed. One constant about Sirius was his competitiveness, he would never back down from a challenge and he would always determinedly strive to win, though he would sometimes sulk if he lost. But Sirius had learned a long time ago that it was near impossible to beat Harry in speed and now revelled in the challenge, no longer disappointed when he lost every race. Instead he vowed that one day, _one day_, he would beat Harry, or at least catch him. That was why when Harry ran out, he knew that Sirius would gather himself quicker then you could blink and be dashing after him like there was a hellhound on his heels.

Harry wasn't to be disappointed and soon heard the thumping behind him as they raced down the four stories to the basement, which was also the kitchen. Harry struggled not to laugh as he heard his brother's elephant footsteps, Sirius may be bigger and stronger, but Harry could run with the grace of a cat. _Then again it's not exactly hard to be quieter then Sirius, he does tend to make his presence known at all times._

Harry slowed considerably when passing his parents' bedroom, taking extra care to be quiet. When Sirius and he and been seven years old they had made the mistake of waking their parents early in the morning, the resulting consequences had not been pretty. Walburga had screamed at them, giving them such a scolding for disturbing her 'beauty sleep' that the twins had actually feared for their lives. Age had recently been eating away at the mistress of the Black house, and she was finding it particularly hard, for in her young days she'd been considered quite the catch, beautiful even. Harry shuddered to even consider it, _though maybe Mother is really part Veela…_

Harry had once overheard his cousins discussing them, saying they could turn into hideous, frightful monsters. _That certainly fit Mother_; Harry mused as he ran, _maybe it was a slow, over-time thing… or perhaps she's more closely related to a hag_. As punishment for waking her, Walburga had hexed the twins, forcing them to stay awake through the entire next three days, unable to fall asleep. For two seven-year-olds it had been one of the more harsh punishments.

Reaching the first landing, Harry ducked his head as he ran down the final staircase. Avoiding looking at the shrunken house-elf heads was more of a habit now, then of Harry actually being scared of them. But just because he was used to them, didn't mean the heads were any more pleasant to look at.

About half-way down the stairs to the entrance hall Harry grabbed the banister, vaulted over it, and dropped down the other side. Falling a few feet to the ground, he landed in a crouched position. In the small pause he heard his brother reach the first landing behind him, so Harry stood up straight again and sprinted to the door that would take him to the kitchen.

The kitchen was just as gloomy as the rest of the house; it was a cavernous room with rough stone walls, and a large stone fireplace at the far end of the room. Old fashioned gas-lamps lit the room, with heavy iron pots and pans hanging from a dark ceiling. A long wooden table stood in the middle of the room, which was used for informal meals.

By the time Sirius came bursting into the kitchen, panting like a bellows, Harry had sat himself causally in a chair, chin propped up on one hand. He gazed curiously at Sirius with one eyebrow raised, as if he'd been sitting there for hours.

"Wow, you take your time don't you? Flobberworms are faster." Harry teased. Sirius said nothing as he was still trying to catch his breath, but he did send a mock-glare at Harry.

Harry yawned and stretched, arching his back before standing up, "Well then," he started turning towards the Kitchen pantry and rubbing his hands together gleefully, "let's see if there are any treacle tarts left." Unfortunately there wasn't any, but the twins made themselves a good breakfast nevertheless.

"Hey Siri?" Harry spoke up as he buttered his piece of bread, "whose coming today again?"

Sirius swallowed his mouthful of bacon, and pulled a face at the thought of their family, "Probably our cousins, Andy's not so bad... but Bella and Cissy?" he gave an exaggerated shudder. "And then there's Auntie Druella and Uncle Cygnus, also Uncle Ignatius and Auntie Lucretia."

Harry's face grew darker with every name, but then he brightened, "But Uncle Alphard's coming right?"

"Oh yeah, right." Prodding his bacon around his plate, Sirius became thoughtful; "I don't think Grandpa Pollux is coming, he was too busy or something… but Grandfather Arcturus and Grandmother Melania are."

Harry groaned, closing his eyes as if in pain, "Great," he said unenthusiastically, "this is going to be one hell of a day."

**TBT**

The 'party guests' were due to arrive about lunchtime, which left the whole morning to get ready. Harry and Sirius finished their breakfast with as little mess as possible (which meant only the kitchen benches; table, chairs and _some_ of the roof had food on it.) Luckily, Kreacher turned up to clean before their parents came down the stairs.

The twins both retired to their room again, more to stay out the way of their Father then anything else. He was an early riser and got up everyday at six o'clock whether it was a weekend or a work day. Sirius thought that the lack of sleep was what made Father so grouchy, but then Harry pointed out that Mother was the opposite. She slept in until ten o'clock everyday, but was still just as mean and nasty as Father.

About quarter-past-ten their Mother's voice was heard screaming at the twins to come downstairs. Harry and Sirius rolled their eyes simultaneously at the summoning screeches, leaving their game of wizard's chess half finished. The chess pieces were made of black iron ore, a present from Grandpa Pollux to Harry the year before. Unfortunately for Harry no one in his family was really any good at the game except for Regulus, Sirius just couldn't sit still for the entire game, and there was no way Harry would ask his parents to play. Needless to say he was almost glad to stop playing, since the majority of the game consisted of Harry trying to tell Sirius that

"No you can't move that piece _there_!"

And Sirius defiantly asking, "Why the hell not?"

Then Harry would roll his eyes and inform Sirius that "Yes the Knight moves in an 'L' shape, but not halfway round the board!"

Sirius would then get huffy and claim Harry was making the rules up as he went, before making a clearly ridiculous move and declaring checkmate. So it was almost a relief when Walburga shrieked for them… _almost_.

As luck would have it though, as the twins were going down the stairs at a very slow pace, not at all in a hurry to reach the kitchen where their Mother was surely waiting, Regulus happened to be going up the stairs.

"Morning Reg!" Harry greeted his little brother cheerfully.

Regulus smiled back, "Hey Harry, happy birthday,"

"Thanks little bro,"

Regulus's gaze then turned to Sirius, who was shifting behind Harry looking as if he wanted nothing but to turn around and walk back up the stairs.

"Happy birthday Sirius," Regulus said softly as he faintly lowered his head, clearly wanting to make up for the day before. Seeing this, Harry elbowed Sirius and gestured meaningfully at Regulus.

Sirius pulled a face and sighed, "Thanks Reg," he said, accepting the silent apology. Their nine-year-old brother looked up again and smiled gratefully, promptly turning it into a scowl when Harry ruffled the boy's hair leaving it as a scruffy mess as he continued down the stairs.

Sirius smirked at the look on Regulus's face, before a further, "GET DOWN HERE NOW!" from Mother had him hurrying after Harry.

On reaching the entrance to the Kitchen, however, both Sirius and Harry hesitated at the doorway on catching a glimpse of their Mother. The twins would be the first to admit that Walburga Black was a nasty piece of work. Dressed in green and black robes, with greying dark hair held in an old style bun, she was a little taller then Sirius and over the last few years had gained a lot of weight. Her cold, onyx eyes would fix you with a wicked disapproving stare and it seemed that no matter what you did, a sneer was permanently fixed on her face.

Now that frosty gaze was turned to the twins who were hovering in the doorway. She turned away from Kreacher, who she had been talking to, and drew herself up to her full height. _Which wasn't that much really_, Harry thought watching warily as their Mother put her hands on her hips, looking down her nose at the twins.

"It's about time you two got up! Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can laze around all day. When I was younger we were up at five o'clock everyday making breakfast!" Sirius and Harry tried to hide a smirk, carefully avoiding each other's eyes lest they started laughing.

Unfortunately this didn't escape Walburga's notice, and she took a menacing step forward, her high voice grating on Harry's nerves as she pointed a threatening finger at them.

"Well _I won't stand_ for it! You two are going to march upstairs and make yourselves presentable for the rest of the Black family. Grandfather Arcturus is coming over today and I won't have the two of you looking like ragtag ruffians! You will be respectable and act like the proper pure-blood nobility that you were raised to be! You will not pull another stunt like last time, do you hear me…?"

Harry tuned her out; once his mother got started she could continue on for hours. There was no point trying to defend yourself, she would just start ranting about respecting your elders, and how in her day she would never _dream_ of interrupting _her_ Mother. The so called 'stunt' that Sirius and he had pulled last time the family had come over, was simply locking Narcissa in the attic and leaving her there. She had been annoying the twins with her none stop talk of 'the greatness of the Slytherin House', so the twins had locked her in the attic and 'accidentally' forgotten about her for several hours. All her talk about Slytherin had rather put both of the boys off, and now they weren't so looking forward to Hogwarts next year. Slytherin sounded exactly like their home life, and neither of the boys were rejoicing at that fact.

"…understand? When Bellatrix and Narcissa arrive you are to act the perfect hosts! The rest of the Black family already think poorly of us because of your inability to take pride in your social status! Well I'm telling you two right now that I won't stand for it any longer!" Harry could swear that she didn't breathe, she talked so fast.

Sirius's face took on one of confusion as her words sunk in, "Hang on, what about Andy?" he asked.

A look of righteous anger flashed through Walburga's eyes, "IT'S ANDROMEDA, _NOT_ ANDY, WHAT A FILTHY MUGGLE NAME!"

"Whatever, she _is_ coming right?" Sirius pressed with a mixed expression of annoyance at Mother and anxiety about their cousin.

_SMACK!_

Walburga slapped Sirius hard across the face, her face filled with fury as she prodded a finger into his chest, "Don't you _dare_ speak to _me_ like that!" she hissed.

Harry was at his twin's side in a second as Sirius slowly raised a hand to the red mark on his cheek, and the two boys glared at their Mother. It wasn't the first time this had happened, and probably wouldn't be the last either, but that didn't exactly make Harry feel any better. Neither of the twins had ever been hugged by their Mother, and they could never seem to do right in their Father's eyes, not that they didn't try to impress him. But those years of trying to do well by their family were over, the twins realised there was nothing they could do to please their family so they just stopped trying.

Now the ten-year-olds resented their family with a passion, with only the odd exception to their hate such as Andy or Uncle Alphard, Regulus wasn't so bad, but he was only young still. Both of them hated to think what life would be like if they didn't have each other, they knew it would certainly be much more miserable. Being twins meant they always had someone to talk to, and they helped and protected each other as best they could. It always hurt when the twins looked out onto the street and saw families of muggles walking past, happy and laughing. They had always been taught that muggles were filthy and dirty, the scum of the earth… but when they saw the muggle children rushing to the park to play… they didn't look so bad.

"Well! What are you still doing here? GET UPSATIRS THIS INSTANT!" Walburga screeched, waving her hands to shoo them out of the room, Sirius and Harry quickly complied. Sirius was flushed with anger and humiliation as they stamped back up the stairs. He walked in front of Harry keeping his face firmly turned away. Harry followed him warily, still seething inside at their Mother, but wondering about Sirius. It wasn't a good sign when he was quiet; Sirius was usually so boisterous and blunt that he just vented his anger, but there were rare occasions when he bottled it up. These were the more dangerous in Harry's opinion, he liked it better when Sirius just got it over and done with, even if it meant he attacked Harry in the process. But when he bottled it up it was like a ticking erumpent horn that could explode at any moment.

Just then Sirius stopped short, causing Harry to walk straight into him.

"Pah," Harry spat out a mouthful of his twin's hair and stepped back irritably, "Sirius?" he prompted when the taller boy showed no signs of moving.

"I just realised, she didn't answer my question," he said in a low voice.

"What question?"

"About Andy," Sirius swung round to face him and Harry was glad to see the traces of anger disappearing, "What if she's not coming?"

Harry frowned, "Well I don't see why not, she's come to all our other birthdays."

"But then why would Mother say Bella and Cissy were coming but not mention Andy?"

"I-I don't know," Harry admitted beginning to worry himself. _Maybe she is ill and can't come or something…_

"I hope she's alright," Sirius said, his train of thought obviously following Harry's.

"Maybe Mother just forgot to mention her, I'm sure she's still coming," Harry said trying to stay optimistic.

Sirius didn't buy it though and he turned away again looking troubled.

"Yeah," he said, trying to convince himself, "maybe."

**TBT**

"Druella darling, how lovely to see you," Walburga cried as she greeted her sister-in-law. The members of the Black family were gathered in the entrance hall of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, all dressed in exquisite dress-robes of dark green, black, silver and the occasional dark purple. Harry and Sirius watched from the second landing, looking down at their twelve relatives as the murmurs of polite small talk reached their ears. The two boys were dressed in their best black dress-robes, leaning on the banister, and glumly observing their family. It was hard to distinguish between family members as nearly everyone had black or dark hair, and the birds-eye-view of the party didn't exactly help matters.

"There's Bella and Cissy," Sirius pointed them out to Harry apathetically. Harry just grunted in response. "Can't see Andy though." A barking laughter floated up raising a small smile on the twin's faces.

"Uncle Alphard's here,"

"Yeah that's good." They continued to watch for a while, and then Sirius suddenly broke into a fit of coughs.

"Bergh," he groaned when the fit had stopped, "Grandfather's here too, I got the smoke from his pipe." Harry hid a smirk and turned his attention back downstairs.

"We'll have to head down soon; else Mother will send Kreacher or Reg up to get us," Harry said.

"Oh no, we can't embarrass Mother dearest like _that_, can we?" Sirius replied sarcastically.

"Come on, maybe it won't be that bad,"

"Always the optimistic one aren't you?"

"Shut up Siri, I'm just _saying_–"

"Okay, okay, sorry, maybe you're right and we'll have a dandy old time today with our loving family,"

"No need to overdo it now,"

"I'm not over doing it; I'm speaking from treasured experience,"

Harry moaned and put his head in his hands, "Fine let's just go down there, and get it over with then," he said, voice smothered.

Sirius gave a grin which ended up looking more like a grimace, "Great!" he gritted with forced enthusiasm, "What are we waiting for then?" he grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him along behind him as they started towards the stairs.

"Oh, I don't know, a slightly more sane family perhaps?"

"Rhetorical question Harry,"

"Siri! You know a big word!"

"Shut up."

**TBT**

Their previous Birthdays and family gatherings had never been enjoyable affairs, so the Black twins didn't place much hope in this one. Sure enough, three minutes in and they were already thinking of ways to escape. Presently; Walburga had seated everyone in the Dining room for lunch; it was a formal affair as always so they sat at the handsome dark-wood table, in the ornate stiff-backed chairs.

The huge chandelier above was lit up, but the light seemed not to reach the far corners of the room. Silvery grey silk covered the walls with pictures of leering family members here and there. All the food was fancy, every dish was rare and expensive, but the taste was usually disregarded as a minor detail (It was far more important to show how rich and classy you were.) The adults each had a delicate chalice of fine elderflower wine; with the Black family shield on every one of course, and only the best silverware was used.

Orion Black sat at the head of the table next to his Father, Arcturus. The twin's Grandfather was old now, in his mid-seventies, his black hair had turned white, but his grey eyes were just as sharp as ever. Walburga sat opposite him talking to Grandmother Melania and Auntie Druella; it continued down the table descending in age, until on the other end was their cousins. Bellatrix was striking nineteen-year-old with dark hair and eyes; she had left school a year ago and was engaged to a man named Roldolphus Lestrange. The twins had only me him once and they thought he was perfect for her, as he was just as mean, nasty, and cruel. Next to her sat her sister Narcissa Black, she was a fourth year Slytherin at Hogwarts this year. Narcissa was just as beautiful as her sister, but was her opposite with blonde hair and cold blue eyes; behind her back Sirius and Harry called her the Ice-witch.

The twins unfortunately were sat directly across from these two, with Regulus at the end of the table. They were feeling miserable because it was quite obvious that their favourite cousin Andromeda wasn't here, and they didn't even have Uncle Alphard to entertain them because he was somewhere up the table talking to Uncle Cygnus; his barking laughter sounding every now and again. Andromeda was seventeen this year and in her final year at Hogwarts.

"Where's Andy?" Harry piped up suddenly, interrupting their cousins' conversation. Bellatrix turned to sneer at the twins, her features twisted with detest.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she said haughtily.

"Can't you brats see we're having a conversation here, or do you have no semblance of proper manners at all now?" Narcissa heckled.

"Where is she?" Harry persisted fixing the girls with a steady gaze; he was far too used to the girls and knew better then to get riled up at them.

"None of you business, you scrawny little pest,"

"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can order us about,"

"What's the matter Narcissa," Sirius came in, "don't fancy being locked in the attic again?"

"You dim-witted toerags, I'll get you back for that," she hissed; her eyes flashing menacingly.

"No you won't, 'cause you're too stupid and too slow,"

"Sirius," Harry warned softly, he didn't want to cause trouble so early in the afternoon.

"Our sister's not here because she can't stand your presence,"

"Frankly you make her sick,"

"Why would she want to see you two anyway?"

"Oh look, the wittle baby wabies are going to start cwying," Bellatrix taunted nastily, "I think we've upset them Cissy,"

"Who cares? Their just nosy little nobodies, who will never amount to anything."

Sirius lurched suddenly, as if he was going to attack the girls from across the table. Harry, on reflex, caught his arm and pulled him back down into his seat, which Sirius took reluctantly, but he kept his blue-grey eyes glaring hatefully at their cousins. The girls broke into titters of malicious laughter, and Sirius jerkily shook Harry's hand off his arm, his face like a thundercloud. Regulus sat quietly in-between the four, keeping his head down and his gaze fixed firmly on the plate in front of him.

The rest of the meal Sirius and Harry ate in silence, ignoring any jibes the girls made at them as they resumed their conversation. But after ten minutes of this, Harry couldn't take it anymore and excused himself to get a glass of water, Sirius found he suddenly needed a drink too and the two boys left the dining room together. As soon as they were out of the door, they shared a dark look about their family and continued down to the kitchen.

"They make me so angry!" Sirius burst out as soon as they made it to the safety of the basement.

"Yeah, I know. But you can't attack them at the table," Harry said soberly.

"I wasn't going to,"

"Righhht,"

"But why isn't Andy here?"

"Who knows?" Harry sighed and leaned against the kitchen bench. Neither of them really needed a drink, it was just an excuse to get away.

"_They_ do,"

"Well, duh,"

"Harry, what if it's something serious, like she's –_ill_– or something,"

Harry shrugged helplessly, as his gaze drifted round the kitchen; broken mumblings from the kitchen pantry told Harry where Kreacher was, and at the end of the room was the smouldering fireplace. This, however, did nothing to warm the room, Harry wondered if there was actually some charm in place that stopped it from heating the room above chilling.

"Hey, I've got an idea!" Sirius said, sounding excited. He had followed Harry's gaze to the fireplace, "We could Floo to Andy's!"

Harry turned to his twin open mouthed, "Wha–?_ No_!" he downright refused.

"Oh come on, it's a brilliant idea,"

"It's a terrible idea,"

"Andy won't mind,"

"Our family will, and besides we're not allowed to use the Floo by ourselves,"

"They can't stop us,"

"They'll _kill_ us!"

"They won't even know were gone,"

"Siri we can't just LEAVE!"

"Why not?"

"Because – because," Harry floundered to explain, "we just – _can't_ –" he ended lamely, he had a _very_ bad feeling about this.

But Sirius was already heading for the bag of Floo powder on the mantelpiece.

**TBT**

A/N

Dun, dun, DUN!

I hope people don't mind that I skipped to ten-years-old; I just thought it would be annoying if I took forever to get to Hogwarts.

As to the rest… well you'll just have to wait for Part Two of One Hell of a Day!

XX – Mel


	3. One Hell of a Day PART2

The Black Twins

**The Black Twins**

Albus's plan failed, the war was lost. But his forgotten brother, Aberforth, has a plan too, a plan 'B', a plan that no normal person would even imagine, much less put into action. Then again; Aberforth had never really been normal. His plan, however, had consequences that not even he could imagine, and it slipped and twisted from his grasp, laughing wildly as it dove into the realms of chaos. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your broomsticks, the Black twins are coming to Hogwarts. MWPP era.

A/N

Big thanks to everyone who reviewed; I'm glad people think this story is original!

This chapter is a bit darker… but enjoy!

One Hell of a Day PART 2

**TBT**

Andromeda's family lived in a house much like Grimmauld Place, except it was less ancient. The walls of the house were dark green; the floor was wooden, but covered with fine rugs, in the living room a walk-in fireplace stood proud, silver snakes decorating the edge. The fire turned green, a black haired boy shot out and dusted himself off, a moment later another boy followed landing with a touch more grace then the other. Both Sirius and Harry were used to the Floo network, having used it numerous times in their young lives.

"ANDY! ARE YOU HERE? HELLO–OH!" Sirius yelled.

"Sirius?" A girl came into the room of about seventeen years of age, with curled, long, black hair, and dark, twinkling eyes. She smiled warmly when she saw the twins, but Harry could see her face was slightly blotchy, as if she'd been crying.

"Andy!" Sirius grinned, and she came forward to hug him.

"Happy Birthday," she wished him and then hugged Harry, "What are you two boys doing here? Shouldn't you be at the party?" she finished a little bitterly.

"Well yeah, but it's boring without you," Harry told her, then peered more seriously at her face, "What's the matter? Why didn't you come?"

Andromeda looked away, and for a second Harry thought she was going to start crying again. "Andy?" he prompted when she didn't answer. Andromeda didn't look ill, just miserable as she looked around the uninviting room, still avoiding Harry's eyes as her thoughts went elsewhere. Their cousin was usually a source of sparkling entertainment, and a witty buffer against her sisters, it was strange to see her looking so desolate.

"Come on," she turned back to the twins slipping into an easy smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "do you boys want a butterbeer? There's a place not far from here if you want to go. My treat?"

Harry blinked, "Oh, err… okay,"

"Great!" Andromeda chirped, "I'll just grab my purse, and we'll go," she ran a harried hand through her hair as she walked quickly out the room. Harry exchanged a look with Sirius, and they hurried after her.

A few minutes later they entered a small shop labelled 'Gibbet's Goblets', throngs of Muggles walked past it without a second glance, or even a first glance for that matter. Though they did all gawk at the three Blacks as they passed, Harry and Sirius thought nothing of it as this seemed to be the normal reaction for Muggles in their presence. A bell jingled overhead as Andromeda pushed and held the door open. Harry and Sirius stood a little self-consciously as the few patrons inside turned their gaze towards them. The twins were still wearing their expensive dress-robes, and the Black insignia design on the front drew even more curious looks.

"My friend's family owns this place, find a seat and I'll get us some drinks," Andromeda commented, waving to a portly serving girl. The girl's face lit up and she sent a rosy cheeked, beaming smile their way. Harry and Sirius agreed and found a small round table in the corner that would perhaps not draw too many eyes. 'Gibbet's Goblets' was a cushy café in stark contrast to the Black way of life. Bright colours and signed photos of the _Chudley Cannons_ waved from the walls, obviously the owners were fans. The fumes from the crackling fireplace held a sweet tinge, and in the back of the shop a fast jazzy tune bubbled from a Wizarding wireless. 

"So, what's going on?" Harry asked again once they were seated around the small round table at the back. Andromeda sighed sadly and ran a finger around her glass.

"It's my fault really," she began, "I wasn't careful enough. You see, recently I've been meeting up with this boy at school, Ted Tonks." She gave a small smile at his name, as if remembering something fond.

"But one day we got too careless, and _Narcissa_," she spat her sister's name, "found out and reported it back to our parents. Well they – they weren't too happy with me, and I got in a lot of trouble. They've forbidden me to have anything to do with him," she finished glumly.

"But why?" Sirius asked confused, cocking his head to the side.

Andromeda gave a small, sad smile, "Our family generally doesn't like muggle-borns, remember."

"Muggle-born?!" Harry and Sirius gaped at her

"Like a Mud-blood?" Sirius asked.

"Don't say that!" Andromeda scowled at him, Sirius was rather taken aback.

"Huh? Why, what's wrong?"

"It's not a very polite thing to say," their cousin bristled.

Sirius flushed with embarrassment, "Oh, sorry," he apologised sincerely.

"That's okay, you probably didn't know."

"So…" Harry started, unsure what to say, "You –_like_– this Muggle-born?"

Andromeda sighed, "Yes," she admitted.

"But…" Harry didn't understand, he'd always been told that muggle-borns and muggles were the scum of the earth. Andromeda caught his eye and obviously guessed his thoughts.

"Don't believe everything our family says, they're wrong about most things. Muggle-borns are no different from anyone else."

"Oh," Sirius and Harry fell silent; trying to take in this information, when it went against everything they'd been taught.

"So that's why you couldn't come to our birthday? As punishment?" Sirius frowned.

"Yeah,"

"That's not fair."

Andromeda snorted, "Since when is anything fair?" she took a deep breath as if trying to steady herself and smiled weakly at the twins, "Anyway, it doesn't matter, I'm not going to stop seeing Ted just because my family says so. You looking forward to Hogwarts? Only one year left to go," she changed the topic, clearly wanting to cheer the twins up on their birthday. Unfortunately it didn't work.

"Why?" Sirius asked flatly, "Slytherin is just the same as our family." Harry whole-heartedly agreed. Why would they want to look forward to seven years of mind-games, power struggles, and cruel diplomatists? Andromeda gave Sirius a curious, studying look; narrowing her eyes as if considering something. Harry sipped his drink, the warm butterbeer relaxing him in the comforting atmosphere.

"Sirius, Harry, has anyone ever told you about the other houses?" Andromeda asked, still with that calculating look in her eyes.

Harry's brow creased as he thought back, "Err… no I don't think so," he glanced at Sirius to confirm, "I mean we know _of_ them, but all we ever hear about is Slytherin."

Andromeda smiled, and her eyes began to twinkle again, "Well I guess I'll tell you then!" She flicked her dark hair back and tapped a mischievous finger against her lips. Her mood was contagious, and Harry was glad to see the real Andromeda coming back.

"Let's see… four houses, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Slytherin, you already know, they are notorious for their cunning and can be sly and devious. Hufflepuffs are known for their loyalty, and are hard-working people. Ravenclaws are very clever academically, and love to study and to learn. Gryffindors are known for their courage and bravery, or what some would call reckless behaviour.

"Of course not everything about the houses is good. Hufflepuffs aren't always the smartest people; they are usually at the bottom of the class. Ravenclaws aren't always the bravest people; they like to stay out of any physical fighting. Gryffindor's loyalties are known to change, and Slytherins, well, we tend to turn to the Dark Arts," she gave a rueful smile.

Harry's mind absorbed this like a sponge, sending his thoughts whirling away. _Is this what Hogwarts is really like? With four houses all so different from one other, it's almost like four schools in one._ _Maybe Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad after-all, it could even be fun with so many kinds of people to wreak havoc upon… if only I didn't have to be… _

Harry bit his lip, and looked up at Sirius from under his fringe. Taking a chance, he decided to voice what he was thinking.

"I don't want to be in Slytherin." The table fell quiet as the two twins stared at each other, one in amazement, and the other in determination.

"But… you have to be," Sirius said numbly.

"No you don't," Andromeda put in, trying to hide a smile, "you've got a choice."

"Yeah but… no, our whole family's in Slytherin,"

"So? You two could change that,"

"Maybe…" the twins said at the same time, both thinking about what would happen if they were in a house other than Slytherin.

Suddenly Harry jerked up, head snapping around to look at a nearby cuckoo clock, seeing the time, he swore.

"Oh bloody hell; we've been gone for nearly an hour and a half!" the bad feeling he'd had before came back tenfold, almost panicking he turned to Sirius, "we need to get back right now," he said seriously.

Even Sirius realised how much trouble they would be in if anyone knew they were gone, and he leapt up, his chair skidding backwards from the table, "We need to get back to the house!"

"Hold up," Andromeda grabbed their robes preventing them from rushing out the shop's door, "Casey will probably let us use the Floo here, and it will be quicker then going back home." Their cousin hurried over to the counter, calling the rosy cheeked serving girl to her. Harry and Sirius waited impatiently as they talked, before the girl; Casey, smiled and nodded. She reached under the counter and reappeared with a small coarse woven bag which she gave to Andy.

Andromeda hurried them over to the fireplace handing them handfuls of Floo powder from the bag.

"Thanks for the butterbeer Andy,"

"Yeah and good luck with Ted,"

"Yes, yes, hurry up and get back already – and have a good Birthday!" she shouted, just as Sirius yelled, "Twelve Grimmauld Place!"

**TBT**

Harry stepped out of the kitchen fireplace, his head still reeling a little from the trip, so he didn't see his twin standing stock still in front of him, and walked right into him for a second time that day.

"Pah! Siri, what're you… oh," he trailed off.

The party was obviously over, as the house was completely silent. Regulus and their Mother were nowhere to be seen; but their Father was towering in front of them, looking angrier then either of the twins had ever seen him.

_Crap, we're busted. _

**TBT**

Sirius skidded on his knees in his usual Floo exiting technique as he came out of Twelve Grimmauld Place's large stone fireplace, into the gloomy kitchen. He still remembered when he and Harry had travelled for the first time on the Floo network, they both had been terribly nervous. The actual trip had made them feel really ill, and they had both landed ungracefully flat on their faces at the end. Over the years though, and with lots of practise and sore noses, they could Floo as well as any pure-blood.

Gliding to a short stop, Sirius stood up and dusted off his knees, feeling elated inside. _Harry had nothing to worry about, we pulled it off perfectly! We got to miss out on the stuffy family banquet, see Andy, travel Floo all by ourselves, and it's all thanks to my brilliant idea. This is the best birthday ever!_ He dusted off he last of the soot from his fancy dress-robes, now looking considerably worse for wear (which Sirius couldn't care less about), and waited with a smirk for the fire to turn green again so he could tell his twin a smug; 'I told you so'.

The dim light from one of the nearby gas lamps that lined the kitchen walls was blocked suddenly, throwing Sirius into a shadow. He blinked in surprise and turned around to see what the obstruction was, and immediately saw the problem. The presence of rather large chest, clad in exquisite dark-green and black dress-robes, was casting Sirius into the aforesaid shadow. The smile slipped from the ten-year-old's face as he slowly raised his head to meet the cold onyx eyes of his father, which were filled with such an intense fury that for a moment the boy feared he'd been turned to stone. Sirius gulped.

Still frozen by his Father's steely gaze he was only dimly aware of the fire turning green again, and of Harry stepping out. Only mutedly aware of his twin walking into him, nearly swallowing a mouthful of hair, and only was distantly aware that Harry started speaking only to trail off. A dreadful silent tension filled the kitchen, buzzing in Sirius's ears as his brain was screaming at him _run, get away, be anywhere but here!_ But his legs weren't cooperating.

"_Where_ did you _go_?" Orion Black asked quietly, a dangerously angry undertone in his voice as he seemed to visibly try and retain himself. Sirius's mouth was open but no sound was coming out, his mouth had gone dry, no thoughts were coming to his usually quick mind other then _RUN, RUN NOW_ and the fact that his Father was using the quiet voice which promised trouble.

"Well? Where were you? Did you think you could just leave? Did you think that no one would notice? Hmm? What were you _thinking_? Where you even thinking at all?! ANSWER ME!" he roared, Sirius flinched and stepped back into Harry who was trembling. Their Father was breathing heavily now, seeming so angry that he was finding it hard to talk. "Do you want to tell me WHY I had to explain to _Grandfather Arcturus _that you two had LEFT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HUMILLIATING THAT WAS?! IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE FAMILY! DO YOU?!" Spittle sprayed from Orion's lips as he raged. The twins huddled against each other, not even realising that they had clasped the other's hand. Both Sirius and Harry were pale, eye's wide and pupils' dilated, hearts pumping wildly with fear. Orion had obviously had a little too much to drink at the meal; they could smell the alcohol on his breath.

Their Father's voice went quiet again, "You ungrateful _brats_! How _dare_ you? Do you know how much work your Mother put into today? Do you realise how this makes us look? The banquet is RUINED, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! CAN'T YOU TWO DO ANYHING RIGHT?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO USELESS AND WORTHLESS?! You are BLACKS! You are PURE-BLOODS, SO ACT LIKE IT!" He swelled as he took another lungful of air, a maniacal look in his eyes. "And by Salazar I will make you understand that, even if I have to beat it into you! I'll make sure that you never pull a stunt like this again!" He whipped out his wand and pointed at a nearby silver candle-holder on the table. "_Tergius rectus!_" it transfigured into a leather strap. It was the sight of this over everything else that finally motivated Sirius's legs into action.

Adrenaline rocketed through his veins and he tightened his grip on Harry's hand, as Orion _accioed_ the strap to him. Sirius leapt forward, dodging around his Father, and pounded across the stone floor of the cavernous kitchen. A startled cry behind him told him Harry was running too, and a wrathful roar and the thump of a chair being knocked out the way told him his Father wasn't far in the rear. It was unfortunate for them that the kitchen was so long; the kitchen's fireplace was at the opposite end of the room to the door and stairs leading to the entrance hall.

A beam of light streamed past them, smashing into a stack of plates and knocking them to the floor where they shattered. It seemed to take an age for the twins to reach the narrow doorway; Harry's hand broke away from his so that they could climb the stairs as it was only wide enough for a single person. Gasping in fear, Sirius didn't hesitate as he tore up the stairs, using the walls to propel himself forward quicker; however another cry stopped him short. _Harry_.

Time seemed to slow down as Sirius turned; framed at the top of the stairs as he looked back for Harry. Some sort of jinx had hit his brother, causing his feet to trip up and for him to fall over at the bottom of the stairs to the basement kitchen; he was kneeling now next to the open door, one hand on the kitchen door-knob which he was using to hold himself upright; head lowered as he fought for breath, winded as he was from the jinx. Their Father was bearing down upon him. Then Harry raised his head, emerald green eyes met blue-grey, from one end of the staircase to the other, Sirius still feeling like someone had cast a slow-motion charm. Gaze fixed on his brother; he saw something change in Harry's eyes, some emotion like a desperate determination set in, and alarm bells began to ring in Sirius's head.

The staircase had never seemed so long, and even as Sirius began to move one foot back down to Harry some part of his mind was screaming at him that he'd never make it in time. He would never be able to get down there to Harry and get them both back up the narrow staircase before their Father reached them, and once that happened, they would both be punished. And Harry knew that, Sirius could see it in his eyes, with that came the sudden comprehension of what his brother was about to do, and Sirius had never felt more afraid in his life.

"No–" Sirius half-cried, half-begged stumbling back down the steps, his hand stretched out to his brother as if he could _accio_ him.

"_Run Siri_," Harry rasped and changed his grip on the door handle, not to pull himself up, but to slam the door shut.

_Bang! _

"NO!" Time returned to normal and suddenly Sirius could move properly, he lunged at the closed door between him and his twin, but reached it just as the lock clicked.

"NO! HARRY! HARRY!"

Sirius attacked the door, pounding his fists, kicking and screaming, barely even making a dent in the dark-wood. All thoughts of running had fled; his brother was the only thing that mattered. His Father's bellowed snarl of victory sounded through the door, which was quickly drowned out by a painful cry from Sirius's brother. The door shuddered as if hit and another agonised cry came with it.

"HARRY! H-HARRY, N-NO! No… please…" Sirius clawed at the hard barrier, not even registering the wetness of his cheeks. There was the sound of a muffled blow, and a whimpering sob from the other side.

"H-Harry…" Sirius croaked, he pounded on the door, his whole body shaking. Harry gave an answering cry of pain again, followed by a low moan.

"STOP! PLEASE STOP IT!" Sirius howled hitting the door with renewed vigour, "HARRY!" The single gas lamp that lit the kitchen stairs suddenly shattered from accidental magic, plunging Sirius into darkness.

He didn't know how long he sat there in the dark, listening as his Father punished Harry. Sirius's sobs resided into nothing as he sat in numbed helplessness on one side of the dark-wood kitchen door. So close to his twin, and yet further away then ever before. He lifted his head when he heard Orion hiss something to Harry, but it was too quiet to make out through the door. There was the sound of something moving away from the door, and Sirius's heart thumped loudly in his ears as he realised that it was over. _I have to get to Harry, Harry is all that matters_. His breath quickened as he stood up quickly, and staggered on his shaky legs after sitting down for so long.

He gazed at the door, so intensely as if he could burn a hole right through it. Waiting with a lump in his sore throat for his Father to open the door so Sirius could… Then common sense caught up with Sirius, what would happen if his Father found him here. _He might stop me from helping Harry!_ Panicked now as he heard footsteps approaching the door, he spun around and raced back up to the top of the stairs. The click of the door unlocking echoed through the silent house, and Sirius gasped, diving away from the staircase into the entrance hall.

He heard the sound of the kitchen door opening, followed by heavy footsteps up the narrow stairs. Sirius looked around wildly for a place to hide; spotting the grandfather clock as his saviour and pitching himself on the other side, cramping up in the small space and letting the shadows hide his presence. The form of his Father's figure rose up from the stairs, and Sirius held his breath as the man neared closer to his hiding place. He plead silently to Merlin that he would pass unnoticed, and finally something right happened on his birthday as Orion's robes swirled past him. His Father cleared his throat with a noisy cough, reaching the grand staircase that led to the rest of the house, and slowly pulled himself up to retire to his bedroom.

Sirius held still until he could no longer hear his Father's footsteps, it seemed to take an eternity for the man to reach the master bedroom and the whole time Sirius thoughts were racing with visions of a bleeding Harry, Harry lying helpless on the floor, Harry dying… Sirius sucked in a breath trying to quell these unwelcome images and set off back down the stairs to the kitchen, dread clenching his stomach.

Feeling his way back through the dark, he saw that his Father had left the door open. Sirius lurched desperately through the doorway, and his blood ran cold as instantly his blue-grey eyes fell onto the curled up body of his brother by the kitchen bench.

"Harry," Sirius murmured feeling like he was going to be sick. He somehow ended up next to his twin, who was faced away from him on the rough icy-grey stone. "Oh Harry," Sirius stretched out a tentative hand towards his brother's still form, placing it on the boys cheek. His breath caught in his chest, _Merlin, he's so cold,_ leaning forward he turned Harry over so that he now lay partially in Sirius's lap.

Blood ran down one side of Harry's face, and one of his cheeks was still red from a blow. Harry's green eyes fluttered open and Sirius could see the pain and tears reflected in them. Sirius gulped as his brother's eyes focused on him and his lips parted, in an unheard cry.

"Harry?" he whispered and watched, faintly surprised as a drop of water fell onto his brother's face, quickly follower by another. Sirius detachedly realised they were coming from him, he was crying again.

"S-Siri?" Harry's voice was so soft.

"Hey," Sirius tried to smile, and failed miserably.

Harry's hand curled around his, grasping comfort from his brother as he lay, head and shoulders cradled by Sirius.

"Siri… 't hurts…" he eyes wavered shut again, and his body convulsed. Sirius held Harry closer.

"Shh… its okay, I'm here now, it'll be okay, Harry, you hear me, you're gonna be fine…" Sirius mumbled soothing words, barely even taking in what poured from his mouth.

The twos boys sat there until Harry had finally fallen asleep, and Sirius's legs were numb from kneeling so long. Scooping up his brother Sirius began the long walk back up to the top of the staircase, to their bedroom. It was good thing that Sirius was the stronger of the twins, and Harry the smaller and lighter, or Sirius would have never had managed it. By the time they reached the bedroom that had the silver plark with their names written on it, it was nearly midnight.

With a tricky manoeuvre involving his feet, Sirius was able to get the door open and shut it behind him again. He carefully lowered Harry down onto his bed, but Harry gave a gasp of pain and jerked awake.

"Shh, it's alright, it's just me," Sirius reassured Harry, who loosened his death-grip on Sirius's arm.

"Siri," Harry sighed in relief, closing his eyes and leaning back into the soft sheets. Then he wrenched them open again, "are you alrigh'?" he asked anxiously.

Sirius nodded grimly, "Yeah, peachy," he growled, "why did you do that?"

Harry closed his eyes again, "Didn't… didn't want you… to get hurt, 'twas better this way…"

"What! Harry you idiot!"

Harry cast him a hurt look, which made Sirius feel guilty.

"Sorry," Sirius apologised.

"That's 'kay," Harry said quietly, wincing as he gingerly moved his arm into a more comfortably position.

"No really, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Harry – I couldn't – I tried – I'm sorry –" Sirius struggled.

"Not your fault,"

"Yes it is! How can you say that? If I hadn't insisted that we went to Andy's – and you didn't even want to go – you tried to tell – I didn't listen –" he could hardly even talk for being so upset.

Harry sat up again to grasp Sirius's shoulder, "Siri look at me. _Look_ at me. Listen; there was nothing you could do. So don't... don't beat yourself up about it, besides it's as much as my fault as it is yours–"

"_What!"_

Harry winced at Sirius's loud voice; he was swaying slightly as he sat on the bed, he touched a hand to the side of his head, and it came away bloody. Sirius swallowed thickly when he saw it; here he was, arguing with Harry while his twin was hurt.

He gently pushed Harry back, "Lie down, okay?" his brother nodded, and then stopped because nodding obviously hurt too much.

"I'll be fine… just... need sleep… and…can… get water?" Harry croaked, now sounding completely exhausted.

"Sure, I'll be right back, stay here,"

Harry chuckled weakly, "Right, I'll do that."

A few minuted later Sirius returned to the room precariously holding a goblet filled to the brim with crystalline water, walking carefully so as not to spill any. When he reached his brother, however, he found Harry fast asleep. Sirius shrugged and put the goblet down for Harry to drink later. He paused to look down at the sleeping form of his brother, feeling troubled.

Harry had closed the door to save Sirius, scarified himself so that his twin wouldn't get hurt, which made Sirius feel terrible. His brother was smaller than and not as strong as him. _It should be me protecting him, not the other way round – dammit– why does he have to be so selfless?_ _And why can't I ever protect him? Am I really that useless that I can't even protect my own twin?_ Harry was always taking the worst of it, and then he had those nightmares…

Sometimes Harry would have these nightmares at night, things that made no sense, or things he'd never even heard of before, and places he'd never been. But he said that they always felt so real, like he was in someone else's body. That scared the hell out of both the twins, especially when Harry had the really bad ones that made him sweat, or scream, thrash or vomit and every time he'd wake clutching the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Sometimes Harry felt really happy or angry for no reason at all, like it wasn't his happiness or anger he was feeling. And again his scar would hurt.

Harry's scar puzzled both of them, neither had any idea where it had come from, and their parents wouldn't say other then 'He got it in an accident when he was younger,' which made them think their parents had been doing something illegal that they didn't want anyone to know about. Sirius thought that they'd tried some illegal curse that made Harry have visions, or maybe Harry had some seer blood in him, and he was seeing the future. Sirius sighed, who knew? It could be anything really…

Harry moaned in his sleep, and Sirius felt his chest constrict painfully. He shot another worried look at his brother, sometimes Harry scared him more then he'd ever like to admit. The mere thought that he could have died tonight if Father hadn't stopped… Sirius shivered, the room suddenly felt very cold.

A shaft of moonlight broke through the curtains, catching Sirius's eye. He walked over to the velvet drapes, carefully stepping over the still half-finished chess game set up on the floor, it seemed like it was days ago that they had been playing, not hours. Sirius reached up to pull the curtains completely closed, but paused as he looked out at Grimmauld Square. The street was empty, lit only every few yards by muggle lamps, the ones run by elektrissity. The park across the street was pitch black, the occasionally tall tree silhouetted by the light of the moon.

_It would be so easy_, Sirius thought wistfully, _to just leave. Harry and I could pack a few bags right now, steal some food, and be gone before anyone knew it._ Sirius sighed, it sounded great in theory but he knew running away would never work. He and Harry had talked it over before, if they did run away, where would they go? Somewhere the Black family couldn't find them? Yeah, right, the Blacks would just use magic to track them down, unless they were in a magical building that was warded. The Leaky Cauldron had wards on it, but the Blacks would just use their influence and money to get the twins back.

_And even if we did get away, what would we do about money and food?_ Eventually Sirius knew they'd run out, they could get a job, but who would hire two ten-year-old boys? Two ten-year-old boys who were running away from their psychotic, but powerful family, known for dabbling in the Dark Arts? _And if we can't get a job, what then?_ They would starve, or have to live on the street with Muggles, or could get stuck in an orphanage! Then there was Hogwarts. Hogwarts only let two scholarships in a year, a boy and a girl, how would they pay for school? _No… running away was not an option._ Sirius harshly yanked the curtains shut, and turned back around to go to bed.

Harry whimpered now, his face screwed up. Whether in pain, or in fear, as he relived the night in his dreams, Sirius couldn't tell. Rejecting his own bed, he moved through the dark room to the other side of Harry's large bed, lifted the green bed covers and carefully crawled in next to his brother, so as not to unintentionally hurt him. Laying his head down on the pillow and curling up on his side, he sadly watched Harry sleep. Reaching forward slightly, Sirius took hold of his twin's hand giving it a gentle squeeze of reassurance. He was satisfied to see Harry's pained expression clear, before he himself closed his eyes and fell into a restless sleep, his last thought being that this by _far_ was the worst birthday ever.

**TBT**

A/N

Sniff… so sad…those twins cause a lot of trouble for themselves.

This is the Black family though, so it is darker...

I would love it if you would review please, believe it or not, but I do like to hear your thoughts. : D

XX – Mel


	4. The Calm Before the Storm

**The Black Twins**

Albus's plan failed, the war was lost. But his forgotten brother, Aberforth, has a plan too, a plan 'B', a plan that no normal person would even imagine, much less put into action. Then again; Aberforth has never really been normal. His plan, however, had consequences not even he could imagine, and it slipped and twisted from his grasp, laughing wildly as it dove into the realms of chaos. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your broomsticks, the Black twins are coming to Hogwarts. MWPP era.

**TBT**

One Year later… Mm-kay : )

The Calm Before the Storm

**TBT**

_HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr Black, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. _

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress _

Harry grinned, all but glowing with pride as he read his letter over once more while waiting at the top of the stairs for his brothers. The letters had arrived with yesterday's post, Sirius had got an identical one, and now today they were going to Diagon Alley to buy all their school supplies.

"HAR-RY!" Sirius yelled from their bedroom.

"WHAT?!" he yelled back.

"ARE YOU WEARING MY CLOAK?!"

"WHAT?!" Harry yelled again, just for the sake of it.

"ARE YOU –WEARING–MY–CLOAK?!"

Harry grinned at the frustrated tone layering his twin's voice, "WHY?" he could just picture Sirius grinding his teeth together.

"JUST TELL ME!"

Harry looked down at the outer-cloak he was wearing, oh so _that's_ why it felt a little bigger than usual. The ends were dragging on the ground, and the sleeves were hanging off his arms.

"You _are_ wearing my cloak!" Sirius accused as he shuffled out the bedroom.

Harry looked up, and had to bite his lip in an effort not to burst out laughing. Sirius had somehow managed to squeeze himself into the smaller cloak, it was _way_ too tight on him and finished above his ankles, he looked ridiculous.

"Mmpf," Harry snorted, beginning to lose the battle with his brother looking so pathetic.

Sirius growled at him, "We are switching," and began to undo the silver fastenings. Harry just nodded, turning away quickly before it became too much, and shrugged off the cloak.

_RRRIPPP!_

The two boys froze at the loud tearing noise, and for a second Harry thought it had been him.

"Err…" Harry whipped back around to see Sirius holding up a clearly ruined cloak, "… oops?"

"SIRI!"

"I didn't mean to!"

Harry groaned and walked over to examine the damage, a large tear went all the way down the side.

"We can fix it…" Sirius now looked anxious, "can't we?"

"Not unless you want to ask our parents,"

"Bugger, sorry."

Harry grunted, "Oh well, here's your cloak," he tried to hand Sirius the overlarge cloak. But Sirius shook his head.

"No, you wear it; I ripped yours, so it's only fair,"

"I'm not going to take your cloak, Sirius," Harry rolled his eyes, "besides its too big,"

"Yeah but you can still wear it, it's cold and wet outside,"

"Siri-us..." Harry whined.

"Har-ry…" his brother imitated.

Harry huffed, "Fine." He turned around and threw the cloak back on, so he didn't see the small smile playing on his brother's lips.

_Why does he always do that?_ Harry mutinously thought as he fastened the silver ties once more. Sirius was so overprotective; he was always sticking his neck out for Harry and would blow up at the smallest thing against his twin, at times this could just be recklessly stupid. Though Harry had soon learnt it was better to give in over the little things, or the arguments would be never-ending.

"Hey guys, are you ready?" Regulus stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him. Regulus, now ten-years-old, looked like a smaller, more timid, version of Sirius. Both his and Sirius's hair fell casually around their faces with graceful ease. Harry had always been annoyed that his hair hadn't seemed to pick up the habit; it had a more ruffled appearance, not unattractive… but still…

"We are now _you're_ here," Harry grinned, throwing an arm around Regulus's shoulders. The younger Black frowned at him.

"Harry, do I need to ask _why_ you're wearing Siri's cloak?"

"Ask us no questions–"

"–And we'll tell you no lies." Sirius finished, and he unceremoniously threw the ruined cloak back into their room.

Regulus just rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Come on, the sooner we get downstairs the sooner we can leave."

"I've always said you're the smart one Reg." Sirius declared happily, slinging an arm round the other side of Regulus as they began to trek downstairs.

"No. You've always said he's the snobbish one," Harry kindly corrected him.

"Lies! Don't listen to him Reg, I do nothing but respect and value you."

"Oh so you value my opinion do you?" Regulus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course!"

"And if my opinion was that you are an arrogant prat?" Regulus smirked.

Sirius opened his mouth, frowned, and shut it, pouting at a laughing Harry. "You've been corrupting him, haven't you," he accused his twin. But the black-haired trio were interrupted before Harry could answer.

"BOYS! If you don't hurry up now, you can forget about Hogwarts and we'll send you to Durmstrang!"

Harry and Sirius paled and quickened their pace down the stairs. No matter if they ended up in Slytherin at Hogwarts, it would still be better than Durmstrang, where they knew the students learnt the Dark Arts. Panting for breath from their rush, the three boys reached the entrance hall, where their Mother was waiting. Orion Black wasn't coming as he was 'far too busy for shopping', but he had gone and got some money from Gringotts the other day.

Walburga met her sons with a glare, her dark eyes cold as her lips curled in a spiteful sneer. "Blacks do not gasp for breath, nor do they run!" Her nostrils flared with distaste as the boys tried to regain control of their breathing. "They walk with the dignity and pride that is fitting of the Noble House of Black. They have refined grace, appropriate decorum and proper etiquette, they have superior and purer blood in their veins, and you three will do _well_ not to forget that! This is the first time since your last atrociously shameful visit to Diagon Alley," she fixed the twins with an icy glower, "and I will not have re-enactment of that disgraceful incident. Do you _understand_?!" she shrieked the question.

The 'incident' happened the last time the twins had gone to Diagon Alley. Sirius and Harry had snuck off to explore 'Gambol and Japes', which sold a wide variety of tricks and practical joke items. They were looking for something to prank their family with, and accidentally set off some easy-to-start fireworks. To their amazement the fireworks had shot up and soared right over Gringotts, to land on the other side, right in the stationary store, 'Scribbulus Ever-changing Inks'. Unfortunately that day the stationary store had been having a sale on flammable ink (why you needed flammable ink in the first place was still a mystery to the twins) and of course the fact that the stationary store sold stacks of parchment didn't help either. Needless to say the explosion drew quite a scene, luckily though, nobody was injured. But even to this day there were still Irremovable Ink stains splattered on the outside walls of 'Flourish and Blotts'. Their Mother had been absolutely mortified; Harry and Sirius had been more worried about the 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' shop that had been right next door.

Now though, they all replied a solemn "Yes," to their Mother, who gave them all another disapproving sneer. Ten minutes later, the four Blacks stood in the Floo entrance of the 'Leaky Cauldron'.

**TBT**

"What are you _wearing_?" Walburga asked in a horrified tone, finally noticing the overlarge cloak Harry wore. Harry went to answer but his Mother cut him off, "It looks like a common hand-me-down," she hissed, lowering her voice as if it was the most embarrassing idea. "And you," she turned to Sirius, "Where is your outer-cloak? You're walking around in just your robes! What will people think? Blacks are expected to look perfect in every aspect, and those cloaks are the finest money can buy,"

"I couldn't find it," Sirius drawled lazily, looking as if he couldn't care less. (And he probably didn't).

Harry watched warily as his Mother's nostrils flared, and her eyes narrowed. For a moment it looked like she would smack Sirius again, but then she just pursed her lips and turned away. Sirius smirked at her back, caught Harry's eye, and winked. It was unbefitting of Black behaviour to hit someone in public, and Walburga stuck to her rules like they had divine meaning. Harry rolled his eyes at his twin's antics and let his gaze drift around the pub.

It was the same as usual, dark and shabby yet somehow welcoming. A youngish man in his early thirties was _Sourgifying_ glasses behind the wooden bar. Tom was the new owner of the Leaky Cauldron, and was a real friendly guy. The tables around the pub were mostly empty except for… oh bugger.

"Walburga! Fancy meeting you here!"

"Loretta, my, aren't you looking fabulous! As always of course." Gone was the sneering monster, Walburga was suddenly fawning over her friend. Harry and Sirius pulled identical grossed out faces, Regulus laughed nervously. It was almost scary how quickly their Mother could change moods.

Loretta was a tall lady, at least a head taller then Walburga. Loretta had long shiny blonde hair and she wore silvery blue robes, draped gracefully around her.

"Thank you dearest, you're too kind. Oh have you met my son, Lucius?"

Harry and Sirius quickly perked up at the mention of a son, but soon faded again as they watched a boy, obviously older, rise majestically from a chair and saunter forward answering his mother's call.

"Yes Mother?" Lucius drawled, flicking curious cold eyes towards the three brothers. Lucius was tall with long blonde hair like his mother, yet as he smirked and stuck a hand in the pocket of his black robes, he seemed to radiate an intimating aurora.

"This is Walburga Black and her sons… err…"

"Sirius, Harry and Regulus," Walburga graciously supplied.

"Right!" Loretta smiled silkily, "We're shopping for Hogwarts supplies, well, Lucius is anyway. He's in fifth year this year, a Prefect, would you believe!"

"Oh yes? How nice. The twins are starting this year," Walburga gestured in the boys' general direction.

"Are they now?" Loretta turned her pale blue eyes onto Harry and Sirius, scrutinising them, as if decided if they were good enough to eat. "Hmm, well Lucius will be able to watch out for them in Slytherin, won't you dear?"

"Of course, Mother." Lucius haughtily replied, flicking the hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head.

Loretta smiled sickly-sweetly at him, before her eyes widened curiously. "Say Walburga, wasn't it your boys who blew up the stationary store a few months ago?"

Walburga's lips thinned considerably, and her nostrils flared for an instant before the smile was back (albeit more strained then before). Sirius made a choking sound next to Harry, sounding suspiciously like he was trying not to laugh.

"Loretta, we haven't talked in ages, let's sit down and have a drink shall we?" Walburga carefully avoided, "I'll give the twins some money and they can go off and buy their school things,"

"Oh that'd be lovely, Lucius will stay with the boys, won't you dear?"

A flash of annoyance crossed the fifteen-year-old's face at being pinned babysitter, but he agreed as smoothly as ever.

"Oh, great," Harry heard Sirius mutter behind him, "Stuck with a puffed-up peacock."

Now Harry was the one choking.

"Splendid," Walburga simpered, before clasping a painfully tight hand on Sirius's shoulder and turning her back on the blonde aristocrats. "Listen here you," Walburga hissed under her breath to her three children while handing them a bag of chinking wizard money, "The Malfoy's are an extremely wealthy pure-blood family with good connections, second only to the Black family. You will be on your best behaviour, no exceptions, do I make myself clear?"

"By 'no exceptions' do you mean–"

"Do I make myself clear?" Walburga spat, interrupting Sirius.

"Yes Mother," they answered.

Walburga gave them all one last glare as if to say _I'm watching you_, and then they were shooed off under the sneering gaze of adolescent boredom. Harry stood behind Regulus in his overlarge cloak, while Lucius whipped out his wand with unnecessary flourish and opened the way.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," he drawled sarcastically, pocketing his wand again in the same flamboyant manner. He was really starting to get on Harry's nerves, and by the look of Sirius's glower, his twin felt the same way.

Though, as Lucius moved aside to give them the familiar sight of their favourite alley, their feelings of annoyance weakened. Shops sprawled out before them, jumbling into one another as if clamouring for attention. Throngs of wizards and witches of all shapes and sizes moved about the stores pointing at items or reading lists in their hands, hissing and screeching could be heard from the nearby pet store, and somewhere a catchy – yet somehow moving tune was playing, just amplifying the feeling of magic. (come on, you know the one : )

Sirius and Harry pushed their way down the street behind the Malfoy boy, trying to take in everything. Even though they had been here many times, it always seemed just as interesting and exciting as their first visit. Everything was a blur of colours and noise. Rain had fallen recently, so they often had to avoid puddles by jumping over them, but with so much to distract them the boys soon found their shoes soaked through.

When they went past 'Quality Quidditch Supplies', Harry stopped short, staring through the window.

"Whoa," Sirius breathed next to him, also staring at the new Nimbus 1000 on display.

"It's the fastest model of brooms yet," Harry murmured eyes locked on the broom as if he could memorise every twig and curve.

"Don't even bother looking," Lucius said with contempt from behind them, "that old fool Dumbledore doesn't _allow_ first years to have brooms, not even prestigious Blacks." Harry and Sirius reluctantly drew away from the window, Harry with only one last longing look back. "Now stop lagging behind" Lucius ordered haughtily. The twins scowled at his pretentious back, and that annoyed feeling returned.

Next they past the newly restored 'Scribbulus Ever-Changing Inks' stationary store, the owner stood out the front polishing a sign with an ink stained rag. The man had tuffs of orange hair poking out from a tartan hat, and a red face as if he'd been in the sun for too long. He gave a satisfied nod at the now sparkling sign and turned around just as the twins past.

"GAH!" he yelled, his face went a few shades redder, and he spread out his arms protectively in front of his store. A few shoppers stopped and stared at his strange reaction, but he just continued to glare at the twins while they past.

Harry gave a cheeky wave at the man, who went as red as a tomato in anger.

"YOU–YOU–!" the man spluttered, veins starting to pop out on his temple. Sirius barked with laughter next to Harry, and they ran to catch up to Lucius who hadn't noticed the commotion.

Their first stop of the day was 'Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions', Sirius groaned when he saw it, he hated clothes shopping. Lucius swept into the store arrogantly, only a touch disgruntled by having to touch the door handle with his cotton spun gloves. Inside was the young, smiling, but squat witch; Madam Malkin, dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked Harry, and then more flatly, "Oh, Mr. Malfoy, you're here too," her smile slipped a bit.

"Only for these two," Lucius drawled, looking down his nose at the witch.

"Two? Oh my, twins! How lovely," Madam Malkin smiled at Sirius, eyes flicking back and forth between him and Harry as if playing 'Spot the Difference'.

Luckily it didn't take too long to get all the school robes done. But the relief was short-lived as they were dragged from shop to shop buying their cauldrons, crystal phials, weighing scales, collapsible silver telescopes, and going to 'The Apothecary' for some basic potions ingredients. Usually it would have been fun to explore Diagon Alley like this, but Lucius' presence seemed to dampen the shop-keepers attitudes – obviously the Malfoy boy wasn't well loved around here. Really it wasn't any better then shopping with their mother, and the twins slowly became bored with the day, as well as frustrated at the fifteen-year-old when he wouldn't even let them stop by 'Gambol and Japes'. Regulus was also usually more fun, but Lucius' company had made him shy and nervous. Finally they headed down to 'Ollivanders' to buy their wands, something the twins had been eagerly anticipating for a long time.

The shop was narrow and shabby, with peeling gold letters over the door, and a single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside, but other then that it was dead silent. Thousands of narrow boxes were piled neatly up to the ceiling, and the odd atmosphere made the Black boys feel strangely subdued.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. All of them jumped, but Lucius quickly tried to pretend he was unruffled. An old man was suddenly standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Mr. Ollivander," Lucius greeted politely, and the man turned his unnerving gaze to the older boy.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. 13¼ inches, Elm with a dragon heartstring core, wasn't it?" Lucius's jaw tightened slightly; and he gave a stiff nod of affirmation. "Hmm," Ollivander hummed, thoughtfully. Then his eyes flicked to Harry.

"And Mr. Potter, back are we? Was there a problem?"

…_huh?_ Was Harry's only thought as he stared blankly at the man. Ollivander's silvery eyes flashed in the dim light, "hmm no…no, I can see I'm mistaken."

Then he moved towards Harry so fast he could have Apparated, standing almost nose to nose so Harry could see his reflection in those creepy misty eyes. "And who might you be?"

Harry wished the man would blink, "Uh," _what was my name again?_ "H-Harry, Harry Black." Ollivander narrowed his eyes very slightly, and the misty eyes went a touch more focused then before.

"Really…" the old man breathed – sounding as if he didn't believe Harry. "Very nice eyes you have Harry, only seen one other with eyes like yours."

Now Harry was really confused, _is he hitting on me?_

Ollivander pulled back, much to Harry's relief, "Black, eh? Of which descendants?" he asked sharply.

"Oh… um," _help me, this guy's insane._

"Orion and Walburga Black," Sirius said, stepping up to Harry's side.

"I see. So, you are the infamous Black twins? Your Mother, Walburga; 9 inch, unyielding, yew wood, good with curses, and your Father; 11½ inch, rigid, hawthorn, good with transfiguration," he rattled off easily, as if that was all there was worth knowing about the Black seniors. "Well, now – Messrs Black. Let me see." He pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which are your wand arms?"

"Right," they both answered.

Next began the search for the right wand, resulting in a huge pile up of discarded wands on the counter. Sirius found his after only fifteen minutes, 11¾ inch, maple, quite striking, dragon heart-string. Harry was having more trouble. As time neared closer to the half-hour mark he was feeling increasingly worried, _what happens if I can't find one? Does that mean I'm a… squib? No– no I can't be! I just can't!_ Even Sirius and Lucius were looking on a little edgily as Harry tried and discarded wand after wand, Regulus shifting nervously on the single chair in the shop. Ollivander, however, just seemed to get happier with every failure.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find you one!"

But ten more minutes past with no success and now even Ollivander was looking at Harry strangely (even stranger than usual that is).

"No, no, that's not right either," the old man snatched the wand out of Harry's hands and put it on the counter with the rest. It looked like more then half the shop of wands was now in the pile. Ollivander rubbed a thoughtful hand over his chin, peering down at Harry, and silence fell completely in the store.

_This is it; he's going to tell me I'm a squib, _despaired Harry. Ollivander's eyes now looked much graver then they did before, and he turned and stared off into the back of the shop seeming in deep thought.

"Perhaps…" he said, and disappeared out into the rows of shelves, leaving the room still in uncomfortable silence. Then he was back again, his creepy eyes now seeming to glow. "Here. Try this one," he said, almost ominously, as he held out a narrow box. The lid was off, showing the wand inside, "11 inches, holly and phoenix feather, nice and supple."

Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised the wand above his head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a steam of red and gold sparks shot from the gold like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light onto the walls. Sirius whooped, and Regulus clapped, Lucius looked bored.

"Hmm… well bravo… how very curious. Yes, yes curious indeed." Ollivander muttered, putting Harry's wand back into its box and wrapping it in brown paper. Harry felt elated inside, _I'm not a squib!_ But the old man was still muttering. 

"Sorry," said Harry, "but what's curious?"

Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Mr Black. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you Mr. Black. Yes… great things…" Harry shivered, _that didn't explain anything at all_, but he paid for his wand and put it in the self-shrinking bag with all his other school supplies. Just as they were going out the door Mr. Ollivander's voice rang out.

"Oh, and Mr. Black? For future reference, get it right this time, won't you?"

The door shut behind them and Sirius turned to Harry, "Get what right?"

"Dunno," he shrugged, the outside sunlight shone through the cool clouds, dispelling the weird feeling the store had given them.

"Crazy old man."

"Yeah," he agreed, and they began walking once more to go complete their shopping. Harry felt Lucius' eyes on him the whole way.

**TBT**

The last stop of the day was the bookstore 'Flourish and Blott's', where Sirius and Harry quickly found all the textbooks required, paid for them and pocketed them. Unfortunately they then had to wait around for Lucius to get his fifth-year books. Regulus disappeared into a corner with a bulky looking text, leaving the twins alone, bored, and looking to entertain themselves. (usually not a good combination).

The shop was larger on the inside then it looked from the outside, a two-story building with bookcases covering every wall and stretching all the way up to the ceiling. Piles of schoolbooks were everywhere, and stacks of texts were massed in front of the many isles. Upstairs, and down one of these rows, Harry and Sirius examined different books.

"Bloody hell; look at the size of this one! Arrh – it's –_heavy_–" Sirius strained, pulling out a book that went up to his waist. "Phew," he set it down next to him, bracing it against his legs.

"Hmm… _The Ancient Tome of Nisar…Niessrach…Nyesscharch… _some-person-who died-long-ago," Harry read, while wiping off some of the dust with his sleeve. "_Extra-enchantments included for free: Unbreakable charm, Laborious charm, and warded against theft, Parch-Beetles, fire damage, and water damage._"

"Sounds boring," Sirius said, already losing interest. He went to heft it back onto the shelf, but the tome slipped and thumped to the ground, sliding several feet away.

Now here, the average person might huff a little at the book, pick it up more carefully and put it back properly. Or they might get curious and open the ancient tome to see what long-forgotten wonders lay inside, perhaps getting amazing information that could change their life and increase their knowledge and power tenfold, making them into a super wizard (or witch) more powerful then even Dumbledore!... but this is the Black twins were talking about here, and they did neither of these things.

In actuality both the boys stared at the book for several moments in silence (the calm before the storm). Then Harry edged forward very cautiously, and lightly pushed the book with the tip of his shoe. It sild forward several more feet. Harry turned slowly to meet the mischievous grin of his brother with one of his own. They had found a way to entertain themselves.

**TBT**

"Ready… set… GO!" Harry yelled from the side. Sirius leapt up from his starting position, sprinting as fast as he could up the isle. After a few second of hard dashing, he took a flying leap through the air accompanied with a war-like roar, to land on _The Ancient Tome of Niesshyrai…_ _whoever_ – and send both him and the large book skidding down between the rows, sailing as far as he could. Literally book-surfing.

"YES! Haha beat that!" Sirius whooped from down the other end. Being bigger gave him enough weight to propel the book further. Harry ran down to join him, both of them panting for breath but with huge grins. It was surprising that no one had came up yet; wondering at the strange noises they were making, but then the shop was so crowded and loud downstairs, Harry supposed no one could hear anything from more then a foot away.

"Too easy!" Harry gloated readying himself with a long run up to the large book. Even if Sirius had the weight to propel forward, Harry had the speed to match it.

"Ready… set…" Sirius started from the side, "GO!"

Harry took off running, moving so fast his feet seemed blurred.

"AAARRRRRHHH!!" he flew gracefully through the air and landed on the tome. The bookcases sped past as he glided along, trying to balance himself right to get the maximum momentum. Adrenaline rushed through his blood, as the air rushed past the wide grin on his face, Harry spread out his arms as if he were flying hands-free.

"Crap, STOP HARRY!" Sirius yelled from behind, but it was far too late for that.

Harry shot to the end of the row, grin slipping as he realised what that meant. He was frozen in position as the book slowed down just enough to teeter on the edge of the staircase, before it fell forward, and Harry was surfing down 'Flourish and Blotts' staircase with the Ancient Tome as his board.

"Bugggerbuggerbuggerbugger–" Harry swore unsteadily as the book bumped down each step, "–buggerbuggerbugger."

Then the situation got even worse as some innocent bystander at the bottom of the stairs turned around with wide eyes, looking up as the one of the terrors of the Black family shot towards him. The bystander's mouth opened (he seemed to be in shock) but he didn't seem to be MOVING!

"GETTOUTTA WAY YEH CRAZY FOOL!" Harry shouted in a last attempt, though all this achieved was gaining the attention of everyone _else_ in the store.

_BOOM_!

Harry, the Ancient Tome and the innocent bystander all smashed into one of the book displays sending everything crashing to the ground in a flutter of parchment. Eventually even these rustled to the ground, landing randomly around the collapsed display, and the rest of the store.

The very – _silent _– store.

Except for a pair of familiar elephant footsteps running down the stairs.

"And THAT, ladies and gentleman," Sirius smiled charmingly at the still shocked crowd of customers and staff, "concludes our lesson on how _not_ to ride books down stairs, we appreciate your time and attention, all donations will be sent to the Society of Parch-Beetles, any complaints should be directed at Lucius Malfoy. Thank you!" he grabbed Harry's hand and the innocent bystander's (who happened to be a boy about Harry's size) and the three of them were out the door just as the store owner gave a bellow of rage.

The three boys pounded out into the street, dodging around witches and wizards, startling some into dropping their bags, only thinking of putting as much distance between them and 'Flourish and Blotts'. But now they had past Gringotts Wizarding Bank and would soon near the end of the street.

"Quick in here!" Sirius gasped pulling the other two boys into a crowded pet-shop called 'Magical Menagerie'. There they collapsed behind a cage of tap-dancing rats, gasping for breath.

"–What the – who are – yeh bloody – _insane_ –" the boy panted next to Harry. He had light brown hair that flopped over his face, and Harry thought he looked a little pale, but then he had just had a book-surfing boy come cannon-balling into him.

"Yeah that's what everyone says about our family," Sirius gave his canine grin after getting his breath back.

"What my twin means to say is we're _really_ sorry about that. But don't you know that bookstores are dangerous places for innocent bystanders like you?"

"…huh? Bystand–?"

"Err… nothing, don't worry about it." Harry shrugged it off, before half-standing up to peer over the rat cage. "I think the coast is clear, so no hard feelings, yeah?" he turned back to the boy, who still looked rather shaken.

"…um yeah, I've… err… got to go, bye." The boy hurried away out of the pet shop.

Sirius frowned after him, "Strange boy," he said, "but what can you d… YOWL!" Sirius howled in pain and ripped his hand away from the cage, where a rat had bitten his finger.

Harry sniggered, "Nice one Siri."

Sirius glared at him and sucked his finger, pitifully mumbling about how he had always hated rats. Sirius's yell had woken up all the other animals and now the store was filled with screeches, hisses, croaks, squeaks, and caws. The pet shop was crowded with cages and animals of all sorts, intriguing customers to look into all of them. Neither Harry nor Sirius had been to 'Magical Menagerie' before so of course they took a look around.

"It's such a shame," Sirius mock-sighed from where he was looking at a bloated toad, "We almost made it through the whole day without any trouble,"

"Yeah that makes two shops we're banned from now," Harry laughed, tapping the glass of a cage that held two large orange shelled snails, "Oh well; I hope _Lucy_ has fun with the store owner."

Sirius snorted, moving on to a coop of cawing ravens, "I bet Reg will pretend he's not related to us again," he chuckled and then examined a couple of Fire-crabs. Fire-crabs were more like tortoises then crabs, their shells were covered in glittery gems making them a pretty prize. Unfortunately they had the down-side of shooting fire out of their… nether-regions…

Harry laughed again from the other side of the room, "That's you, always thinking with your stomach."

Sirius cocked his head to the side, "What? I didn't say anything,"

Harry turned to give him a confused look, "You didn't? Oh, must be hearing things,"

"I think it's _you_ who's thinking with his stomach."

"But I could've sworn you said–" Harry broke off with a gasp.

"What is it?"

"Siri come here," Harry breathed.

"What?" Sirius manoeuvred his way through the crammed pet shop, to Harry's side. His twin was kneeling in front of a cage, looking in with an awestruck expression.

Curious, Sirius peered through the bars, and he was met with gleaming purple eyes. A small black kitten sat daintily on the other side, seeming like an ordinary cat until you looked into its eyes.

"It's a cat with weird eyes, so what?"

"So I want him," Harry clarified, poking his finger through the bars at the kitten.

"Her," a voice said from behind, startling them both. They turned around to see a messy woman wearing thick rimed glasses.

"Sorry?"

"It's a girl. The cat, that is," the woman bustled past, cooing at a three-headed lizard that hung over her shoulders. The lizard gave a triple hiss, its yellow eyes blinking sideways. "Are you interested in her?"

"Yes please, how much?"

Sirius gaped at his twin, "Whoa, whoa, wait a second, please excuse us," he told the woman, who was now tickling one of the lizard's chins. He pulled Harry to one side, who looked disgruntled at being handled.

"What do you think your doing?" Sirius demanded.

"Getting a pet, what does it look like?" Harry answered defiantly.

"Like you've gone mental, you can't get a cat!"

"Yes I can, it says on the list you can 'bring an owl, cat or toad,' and I want a cat,"

Sirius – now getting frustrated, said "That's not what I mean and you know it. Use your common scene!"

"…do you mean common sense?"

"Whatever! Mum will probably kill it as soon as she sees it,"

"So I won't let her see it."

The two twins glared stubbornly at each other both refusing to back down. Finally Sirius tried a different tack.

"How are you going to hide a cat from everyone else?"

Harry shrugged, "I'll think of a way,"

Sirius scowled, "Why do you even want a cat anyway? They're so… furry…" he finished pulling a face.

"Because, just look at her," Harry turned back to the kitten with such a bedazzled look, Sirius could almost _see_ the stars shining in his eyes, "She's cute and fuzzy and those eyes are amazing and she's just begging me to buy her and I've always wanted a pet and–"

Sirius gave up, "Oh great, my twin's a cat person," he groaned, putting his hands over his face.

Harry grinned, sensing victory, "And I suppose you're a dog person?"

"Yes! Dogs are much better then cats any day!"

"But cats are smarter,"

"Dogs are stronger, better fighters,"

"Cats are more agile and can climb,"

"Well dogs can play games; cats just sleep all day,"

"Dogs are harder to hide then cats, and also dogs aren't allowed at Hogwarts,"

"Well cats are… okay fine get the bloody cat," Sirius grumbled.

"Yes!" Harry cheered, and turned to the shop lady who had been watching the exchange looking bemused, "I'll take her."

The woman smiled, placing aside the three-headed lizard, "I'll just get her ready for you, would you like to look at our cat merchandise?" She pointed to a stack of cat treats, food, toys, bedding and the like.

"Okay," Harry chirped, a huge smile threatening to spilt his face. Using his parent's money he bought all the pet necessities plus some cat toys; a cat Bouncy Boomerang Ball the size of a Snitch, and several mice that would come to temporary life when you pulled their tails.

"You be careful with those," the pet shop lady said, peering through her thick rimmed glasses at the toys, "you might get into trouble if you're hard on them. Is this everything?" She placed a carrier cage one the counter with the small black kitten looking wide-eyed inside. The three headed lizard turned its six yellow eyes on it, and hissed menacingly, the cute kitten hissed back, completely failing to look scary.

"Yes thanks." Harry paid eight Galleons for everything and put it all in the shrinking bag, except for the cat carrier of course.

The woman picked up the lizard from the counter and moved off into the back, cooing to it once more. The two boys moved to the front of the shop, but paused before going outside.

"So," Sirius closed his eyes and leaned against the doorway, preventing Harry from exiting, "What are you gonna do with it now?"

Harry scowled, "_Sapphire_ will be safe with me."

"Sapphire?" Sirius opened his eyes.

"Yes," Harry smiled down besotted at the kitten through the cage, "because of her eyes, they're like purple sapphires."

"Whatever. You better do something with that thing."

Harry didn't answer, he just bent down and opened the carrier door, pulling Sapphire out into his arms and cuddling her.

"Can you put the carrier in the shrinking bag, Siri?" Harry asked, awkwardly handing him it. Sirius rolled his eyes and did as he was asked, looking up in time to see Harry fastening his cloak, one arm held against his chest, and the kitten nowhere in sight. Sirius' jaw dropped.

"You didn't!" he accused.

"I did." Harry answered

"That's my cloak!"

"Its overlarge nature on me is perfect for hiding a small kitten like Sapphire," Harry said calmly.

"That's beside the point; they'll be fur all over it!"

"Well it isn't my fault you ripped mine!" he said, not quite so calmly.

Sirius opened his mouth angrily, couldn't think of anything to say, and shut it sulkily. Harry pushed past him and exited back out onto the street.

**TBT**

Sirius soon got over losing to his twin, besides the prospect of pulling the wool over their parents' eyes was just the type of thing he enjoyed. So the twins found themselves skulking through Diagon Alley trying to avoid the attention of anyone searching for them, and crossed to the other side of the street when they went past 'Flourish and Blotts.' The crowds had gone down now that it was later in the day, only half as many shoppers were about the stores. A thin man with a pet carrier like Harry's was looking at quills, and a large group of wizards and witches were standing by the Quidditch store, examining a broom one of them had just bought.

Sirius was sorting through the Shrinking Bag, looking at everything they had gotten.

"Well, today wasn't so bad. I think we've been very well behaved considering…"

"Past experiences?" Harry put in, amused.

Sirius nodded, sidestepping a puddle without looking, "Exactly. At least we didn't blow anything up, and I bet everyone's forgotten about the bookstore by now."

"And you say _I'm_ optimistic."

Sirius ignored him, "I think we have everything," he took out one of Sapphire's toy mice, "hey, I wonder why that lady warned us about these." He turned the unanimated mouse over, scrutinising it as if the answer would jump out at him.

Harry shrugged uncomfortably, shifting his arm and the kitten under his outer-cloak, "Dunno,"

"Hmm." Sirius, unable to help himself, yanked hard on the mouse's tail.

_SQUEAK!!_

The mouse let out an ear-splitting noise and Sirius dropped it in surprise, the mouse was now no different from a live one and it landed splayed-legged on the flagstones, scampering away before either of the twins could stop it.

"EEEK! MOUSE! MOUSE!" A blonde witch – with _way_ too much make-up on – screeched, she scrambled away from the offending creature, so desperate that she climbed into the arms of the wizard next to her. The man gave a shout of surprise and stumbled into the group of people in front of the Quidditch store. "KILL IT! KILL IT!" the blonde lady shrieked frantically. A fat, green-robed man grabbed a broom and started hitting at the mouse, trying to squash it, looking just as panicked as the woman.

"MY NIMBUS!" the broom owner yelled furiously, tackling the fat man in an effort to save his new broom. The blonde lady was still shrieking her head off, while the other witches and wizards starting trying to hex the active mouse. The broom owner and the fat man crashed into the thin man holding the pet carrier cage, he dropped the cage and it burst open.

The large group of wizards and witches trying to hex the mouse accidentally hit three of their own members in the confined space, parallelising one in place, knocking another unconscious, and the third was thrown up into the sky in a puff of blue smoke. At the same time the pet from the carrier came flying out, spinning towards 'Scribbulus Ever-Changing Inks', it's shell glittering in the fading sun, throwing colours over the walls of the shops. Then the legs and head of the creature popped out, revealing it to be a Fire-crab. The Fire-crab did what Fire-crabs do best, and let loose a stream of orange flames, setting the front of the stationary store alight.

The man who had been thrown up into the sky by the spell luckily hadn't gone too far, and soon came tumbling back down, still trailing blue smoke. He caught the roof of the Quidditch store, or more precisely the gutter. The gutter, not made for this type of thing, groaned and broke, sending water cascading down on the still shrieking blonde lady, finally shutting her up.

"– _MY SHOP!–"_ someone hysterically screamed. The red faced owner of 'Scribbulus Ever-Changing Inks' had gone completely scarlet all over. He had just nipped down to the 'Leaky Cauldron' for a quick break. Seeing the twins again that morning hadn't done his nerves any good, so as soon as service had cooled down a bit he'd headed off. There, he'd had a drink, relaxed, and calmed down, he had thought it silly of him to let himself get worked up by the twins, and had left the pub feeling happy and rejuvenated. Now, not ten seconds later, he tugged in rage at the orange tuffs of hair poking out from under his tartan cap.

The twins had watched this chaos with open mouths. The toy mouse finally wound down in front on Sirius, and he numbly picked it up, still staring wide-eyed at the scene in front of him. The thin man struggling to get out from under the fat green-robed man, the broom owner sobbing over the damage to his new Nimbus, the rather dazed Fire-Crab slowly spinning on it's jewelled shell, one wizard unconscious, one frozen in place, and another bright blue wizard holding a broken gutter, the blonde lady completely drenched, her make up running down her face, the burning stationary store, the scarlet owner… The mouse gave one last squeak before lying still in his hand.

All heads turned to the boys.

The Black twins blanched in the silence.

"Bugger," Harry said, summing up the situation nicely.

Sirius gulped, "Run?" he suggested.

"Run." Harry agreed, and they sped off towards the 'Leaky Cauldron' so fast, there was almost an after-image of them.

Steam seemed to come from the red-faced shop owner's ears.

"ARRRGHH YOU LITTLE BRATS!" he raged, taking off his cap and stamping on it in fury, "YOU HORRIBLE MENACES! YOU EVIL CHOAS SPAWN!" he shook his fist after them, the wizards and witches around him joining in, "YOU – YOU – YOU _BLACK_ TWINS!"

**TBT**

A/N

He-he Sirius spoke too soon : D.

Next chapter, they finally go to Hogwarts!

XX – Mel


	5. The Era of Chaos

**The Black Twins**

Albus's plan failed, the war was lost. But his forgotten brother, Aberforth, has a plan too, a plan 'B', a plan that no normal person would even imagine, much less put into action. Then again; Aberforth has never really been normal. His plan, however, had consequences not even he could imagine, and it slipped and twisted from his grasp, laughing wildly as it dove into the realms of chaos. Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your broomsticks, the Black twins are coming to Hogwarts. MWPP era.

**TBT**

Thanx everyone, and ~Gold Stars~ for _padfootROX_ and _Finnja!_

This is officially _the longest_ chappie I have _ever_ written! I know I took ages in getting it out and it might be a while before the next one 'cause my exams started again and I'm busy writing other stuff, so as compensation (drum roll) here is a FIFTY TWO A4 PAGE CHAPTER! ~ ta-da ~ (crowd cheers wildly) thank you, thank you…

A-hem… and now what you've all be waiting for…

The Era of Chaos

**TBT**

Life past by pretty much uneventfully after that trip to Diagon Alley, this was mostly because the twins were being punished. Their Mother had been absolutely lethally livid when they returned to the 'Leaky Cauldron'. Lucius had come fuming in about twenty minutes before them and told their Mother – _everything_ – that happened in the bookshop, ranting about how they'd blamed him, how he'd had to apologise to the 'Flourish and Blotts' owner, how the twins had ran… blah, blah, blah. But Walburga had listened to every word with barely contained fury, and this was before she heard about the mouse incident…

Walburga sent them straight to their room – for the rest of the time before school. They had been dragged up the stairs by some spell and thrown in their bedroom; the door had locked behind them and hadn't opened since. Well, except for when Kreacher gleefully came once a day to take them to the bathroom. He would talk to himself about how the twins got what they deserved for making his poor mistress suffer, and tie each of them up in ropes so they wouldn't escape. They were prisoners in their own house.

The first couple of days had been the worst as Walburga had ordered Kreacher not to send up any food. They'd gone hungry until their Mother relented and Kreacher sent up a large plate of grey mush. Sirius still had the Shrinking Bag with him and all the supplies they had got in Diagon Alley, as well as the cat treats for Sapphire; so the cat was probably the best fed out of the three of them. The plates of mush must have had a sustaining ingredient or spell on it, because the twins never seemed to lose any weight, and it tasted awful enough for something like that.

Still, they had each other and they had the Hogwarts supplies and Sapphire to entertain them, it was even better in some ways because they didn't have to worry about hiding her. Though it did get terribly boring being locked in their room; they had looked over all the school books out of boredom, getting the basics of all the first-year material in them. Harry played with Sapphire a lot; she really liked the cat toys. But he also had to be careful with them, the Bouncy Boomerang Ball could be almost deadly if you bounced it too hard in the small room, causing a lot of damage before coming back to Harry's hand, so he mostly rolled it around the floor for Sapphire to play with.

Regulus sometimes talked to them through the door, but the twins hadn't much else to do but speculate about Hogwarts and wait for the day when they could leave.

**TBT**

"Sirius…"

"Si-ri…it's time for school…"

"Five more minutes," Sirius mumbled, before going back to snoring.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "Have it your way then."

_Meow_

"Argghh–pah! Gah! _Arrrghhh_! Get it – OFF!" Sirius struggled wildly, his voice rising higher in pain as he tried to get the small black cat off his face, "what the _hell_! Haaarrryyy! _OUCH_! GET YOUR DEMON FURBALL OFF ME!" Sapphire had latched her claws into him, and didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon. Harry had collapsed on the floor laughing at his twin's plight.

"–Will you – get up?" Harry gasped between laughs.

"YES!"

"–Say – please –"

"PLEASE!"

"Sapphire, you _gorgeous_ girl, come here or you'll mess up your _lovely_ fur," Harry called, and instantly Sapphire jumped off Sirius and leapt into Harry's arms, purring loudly.

Sirius glowered at Harry's smug expression, his face was red, and his hair was all mussed up, "I always knew you were the evil twin," he growled, moving to get up, "you do that at school and I'll throw you in the lake…wait… school?"

Harry grinned.

"School!" Sirius cheered, leaping up with surprising agility for someone who had been sound asleep not moments before. He jumped up on his bed and began bouncing on it, throwing pillows and bed covers everywhere. Both the twins were more than ready to go, their school things packed away in the family heirloom trunks. The trunks had the Black insignia on the front, with silver stands, hinges and handles, and snake designs carved into the dark-wood. There were thirteen different compartments of various sizes, most of which held their school stuff, leaving a couple empty. In Harry's, however, inside one of the larger compartments were the cat carrier cage and other cat necessities. He was going to wait for the last minute to put Sapphire in the carrier, so she'd be in there for as little as possible.

Sirius paused in his bouncing, "What time is it?" he asked curiously.

"Just past nine, so we have plenty of–"

"BOYS!" came their Mother's screech through the door. Harry paled – dithered – and then dived towards the wardrobe, hurrying to get Sapphire out of sight. He just managed to shut the kitten in, when their bedroom door burst open and the Black mistress stood forebodingly in the doorway.

"We leave in _precisely_ forty-five minutes, make yourselves presentable in attire that is apt for the Black family heirs. I won't have you disgracing our name anymore then you already have," Walburga spat. She sniffed disdainfully at the messy room the twins had been confined to, glaring at Sirius who was still posed on the bed and at Harry who was standing a little edgily in front of the wardrobe.

_Meow…?_

Came a muffled noise from the wardrobe, Harry hastily started coughing to cover it. Walburga's eyes narrowed as her gaze zeroed in on him suspiciously.

"Today marks a new era in your lives, you will at long last learn some respect!" she sneered, thinking that Harry was laughing. With that, their Mother swept away towards the stairs, leaving the door open.

"Free at last," Sirius smirked finally hopping off the bed. Harry sighed with relief and let a dishevelled Sapphire out of the wardrobe.

"Yeah, we're getting out of this accursed house."

**TBT**

An old man; wearing a brown travelling cloak and robes with a knobbly wooden walking stick in one hand, grumbled to himself in the cold morning air at the station. Aberforth was waiting on Platform 9¾, off to the side of the red engine of the _Hogwarts Express_ and out of everyone's way, observing the students and families that had already arrived with shrewd blue eyes. The last ten years had not been easy for Aberforth; he'd had to avoid nearly all that he had known in his past life lest someone recognised him. He occasionally wore disguises if they were necessary, but that was bothersome. Nowadays he didn't even have his beloved pub, 'The Hog's Head' anymore, since his younger self of this time currently owned it. He had spent some years searching for the Boy-Who-Lived, but there were no reports of a lost babe being found, and the Potters still only had a single son. The wizarding world was so big, and Aberforth had no idea where or when Harry had landed, he could be in the Muggle world even, hell the boy could be dead and he wouldn't know.

So without Harry Potter, Aberforth set off travelling and researching, trying to find a means to stop a war that hadn't happened yet. He undertook to try and remember everything he could about the first war with Lord Voldemort, and he knew that the war had begun this year, 1971. This year was also the one Harry would have gone to Hogwarts if he had grown up in this era, which was why Aberforth was now waiting at the station, hoping to catch a glimpse, or better yet a word, with the illusive boy wonder.

Even though it was too early for the train to leave; already quite a crowd of students mingled about the platform. Soon it would be awash with even more activity, as hordes of parents and students bearing enormous trunks and caged owls would move about the steam, their voices carrying through the mist and the billowing smoke from the scarlet train. Aberforth wrinkled his nose at the smell, and gave a hacking cough, peering at the faces of arriving students. Aberforth scowled, none of them appeared to have any resemblance to Harry Potter, though some who met his gaze shrank back fearfully and unconsciously stepped closer to their parent. The increasing noise was starting to grate on the old man's nerves as more young wizards and witches arrived, greeting their friends excitedly, and in high spirits at starting the new school year.

Broken conversation drifted across the platform as if carried by the smoke, only fragments reaching Aberforth's ears as people hurried past.

"– make sure you've got–"

"– Mum, Kyle pushed me!"

"– to see you! How's your–"

"– must have lost it, sorry–"

"– I wanna go, please–"

"– Georgia, missed you _so_ much–"

"– let go, that's not fair–"

"– on your best behaviour, if I get one more letter about you–"

"– oh no! I forgot my–"

"– and don't worry about the sorting, you'll be fine–"

Aberforth ground his teeth, trying to block out the incessant sound, instead concentrating on the faces of the first-year students.

"– that's not what I meant–"

"– Prefect! Dumbledore must be off his rocker–"

"– _I_ heard you had to fight a troll–"

"– Mum no! Not in front of the _girls_–"

"– get at least seven OWLS, or I swear you won't live to see–"

"– rius Black, pay attention when I'm talking to–"

"– can't believe summer's over already–"

_Wait, what? _Aberforth spun around searching for the source of his interest. There, about ten feet away was a family of obvious pure-blood. The Mother was dressed in what looked like black satin robes with dragon-scale gloves, her greying dark hair was done up old-fashionably and held together at the back with a dwarf-bead brooch. She was scolding a young brunette boy who seemed to be causally ignoring her. Next to him were two other shorter boys, both with the same dark hair.

"– and formally apologise to Lucius when you are in the Slytherin common room. Make sure you greet Rosier, and Lestrange, they are both prominent pure-blood families in esteemed Wizarding society. Your cousin; Narcissa will most certainly ensure that your initiation goes smoothly, she is a Prefect after all… Harry, stop fidgeting boy! Also get on good terms with Professor Slughorn, he's your Head of House, he has a great many connections–"

Aberforth stopped listening, instead staring in pure horror at one of the shorter boys, who had turned around, just for a moment. The boy's green eyes had flashed once around the platform as he gazed curiously at other students and the red steam engine of the _Hogwarts Express_, before he turned his impatient attention back to his Mother, still fidgeting as if anxious to get away. Aberforth wheezed for breath, feeling like he'd just run a mile, his mind shutting down in denial. _No... No – it can't be… Not with him… anyone but him… _

But the sinking feeling and the welling despair inside him was telling a different story. Yes; Aberforth had finally found Harry Potter, but for it to be like this, to find him only to discover… It was like climbing to the top of a mountain only to realise it was actually an active volcano... no this must be a joke… a horrible, insane joke… fate must be mocking him with this of chaotic irony… that Harry Potter grew up with the man who betrayed his parents, with the Dark Lord's right-hand man, that murderous traitor; Sirius Black. That Harry Potter, saviour of the Light, grew up with one of the most insane and dark families of all time. A cruel joke of black humour…

**TBT**

The twins finally escaped their Mother, leaving her bristling behind on the platform as they pushed their way through the gathering crowd towards the train, Sirius led the way. A group of older students shoved in front of Harry, and he glanced back at his family one last time while he waited for them to pass. Orion hadn't come out to see them off, so it was just Walburga and Regulus. Regulus was standing miserably behind their Mother looking as if he had just got the death sentence. Harry caught his eye and waved in what he hoped was a cheerful way, trying to convey to his brother that they would soon be back for Christmas. Regulus smiled, waving shyly, before Harry's vision of him was cut off by another family.

Harry was about to turn back round to his trunk when a different person caught his eye. There was an old man at the back of the platform, wearing brown travelling robes and cloak, with a knobbly walking stick in one hand – and staring directly and unrelentingly at him. Ice blue eyes seemed freeze Harry in place, piecing right across the misty and smoke covered platform, ignoring the crowds of children and the confusing commotion surrounding them.

The noise all around Harry seemed to fade away, leaving a strange static buzzing in Harry's ears. The old man's eyes burned intensely into his green ones, an unreadable emotion in them other than a sense of great power and focus. Harry was fixed in place by the mere intensity of this old man's expression, he wanted to look away but felt completely absorbed – he was burning – his head felt light – what was this man _doing_ to him?

Harry finally tore his gaze away and gasped for breath, he hadn't realised he'd stopped breathing. _Who was that old man?_ Harry spun around, suddenly frightened, frantically searching for the aged wizard through the unexpectedly swarming station. The old man had vanished.

Feeling sufficiently freaked out and more than slightly disturbed, Harry slowly turned back to his trunk. He warily pushed past the crowds again, eyes flicking from side to side watching out for the strange old man. _Why would that man look at me like that_? _Have I seen him before somewhere?_ Harry didn't think so… maybe he had accidentally pranked him and the old man was now holding a grudge? _No it didn't feel like that… this feels like something more… something bigger… but what?_ Then he stopped walking as a thought occurred to him.

_Where the hell had Sirius gone?_

**TBT**

Sirius loaded his trunk onto the train and trundled off down the _Express_'s corridor – looking for a spare compartment. He had gone quite a fair way down the train before he had realised his twin wasn't behind him. Other students clattered around up and down the corridor, some already in their Hogwarts robes, owls screeched in their cages, compartment doors sild open and closed, and children yelled farewells to their parents on the platform.

"HARRY!" Sirius called above the noise, struggling to see over the sea of heads behind him. Cursing, the Black boy turned around, pulling his trunk behind him, shoving his way back down the corridor – much to the chagrin of everyone else going the other way. "Hey Harry! Where are you?"

"OI, watch it!" an older girl protested as Sirius barrelled past.

"What the–"

"– bloody first years,"

"Hey, I'm walking here!"

"Little twerp, come back here–"

"– apologise now, you–"

"Huh, how rude–"

"Oh bugger!" a student, holding a bunch of parchment rolls and ink pots, yelped as everything dropped to the ground. One of the ink pots shattered and splattered black ink all over the corridor floor. But Sirius was not deterred.

He ignored them all, before finally spotting a messy black haired boy inside an otherwise empty compartment. Screeching to a stop, he burst through the sliding door, closing it on the vengeful students.

"Harry!" he huffed, stalking angrily up to the boy – who had just finished stacking his trunk away in the storage area. "What the hell do you think you're–" the boy turned around, "– not – Harry." Sirius finished, at loss. He was staring at boy he would've sworn was his brother, if not for the glasses and obviously hazel eyes blinking back. Also the boy's hair seemed slightly messier and more ruffled then Harry's, his forehead was scar-less, and he had an indefinable air of having been well cared for.

The boy gave a bold grin, eyes lighting up behind his glasses, "No, the name's James. James Potter," he introduced himself.

Sirius was bewildered beyond measure as he continued to scrutinise the boy in front of him, "Whoa, that's so… weird…"

James looked affronted, "I happen to quite like it," he said.

"You like imitating people? But you know you got the eyes wrong," Sirius pointed out helpfully. A moment of silence followed.

"…What? There's no 'I's in 'James Potter'…and how can I imitate myself?" the boy scrunched up his face.

Sirius shook his head as if clearing it, "Err, sorry, you just look like someone I know… I'm Sirius,"

"Really, well I'm confused,"

"No, I mean my name is Sirius, Sirius Black."

"Ohh, right." James ruffled his hair sheepishly, then he grinned again, "Are you a first year? I'm one."

Sirius blinked, and sniffed, then he looked down, "…You're on fire…"

James raised an eyebrow, "Oh… err, thanks."

"I'm serious!"

"Yeah, you've said…"

"Oh for the love of–" Sirius pointed down, and indeed James's side pocket was smoking profusely.

"Huh? Oh _crap_!" James swatted his robe pockets frantically, "Yowch! Merlin'sbuggeringballs! hot!hot!hot!"

Sirius watched awkwardly – feeling like he should do something – as the other boy flapped and hopped about. Finally James shoved his hand in his pocket and wretched out a bunch of sparkling mini-fireworks, threw them to the floor of the compartment and stamped them out. Once the disaster was averted James heaved a great sigh, looking at the mashed prank-items sorrowfully. Sirius examined them too.

"Hey, aren't those Dr. Filibuster's?" Sirius prodded a broken firework with his foot, "or were, at least."

James glanced up at him surprised, before another grin graced his face, "Yeah, the mini wet-start ones." Sirius nodded thoughtfully and picked up one of the more salvageable fireworks, "You like pranks?" James asked.

"Heh. Do I like pranks," Sirius repeated, as if it were the silliest question he'd ever heard. Then he struck an arrogant pose, twirling the firework through his fingers, "You sir, are looking at one of the Greatest Prank Kings in wizarding history."

James was quick on the up-take. "Well, I'm afraid I can't bow down," he shrugged self-importantly, "Seeing as I am the ultimate God of all Pranks."

Sirius's eyes glittered, "Is that a challenge?"

James glasses gleamed, "Why? Changing your mind are you?"

"Ha! I never back down from a challenge!" Sirius scoffed confidently, "We'll see who the _real_ ultimate God of Pranks is, there's no way you can beat us!"

"Us?" James's brow furrowed once again.

Sirius paused as understanding caught up with him and he remembered why he came in here in the first place. His trunk fell with a thud to the floor. "Harry!"

"No, I'm James remember,"

Sirius was already opening the compartment door, "Just a second, I'll be right back." He dove back into the crowded corridor, which had somehow managed to double in number of students. The Black heir wove through, pushing past kids, avoiding heavy trunks, and dangerously sharp elbows just the right height to poke him in the eye.

"HARRY! HAR-RY! HAargh–" Sirius was knocked to the ground as a trunk swept his feet out from under him; he landed on his face, ironically in the splattered ink from before. Refusing to be discouraged by this, he wiped his cheeks, unknowingly leaving two dark camouflage streaks under both his eyes. Going for a different tactic this time, Sirius began army-crawling through the throng of ankles, stubbornly persisting in his search-mission. He rolled out of the way of thundering trunks and giant boots (in his view anyway) holding his breath as he went past a particularly smelly bunch of feet, and endeavouring to not get tangled in owl cages.

He thought he was doing rather well, until a girl above him hysterically screamed.

"HE'S LOOKING UP MY SKIRT!"

Sirius froze in panic as the group around him went silent. He looked up, about to try to charm his way out, but the words died on his lips in face of the furious students. All of which were girls.

"_PERVERT_!" they screamed as one, and Sirius gave up the crawling thing in favour of running for his life.

**TBT**

Harry was annoyed.

Ever since that old man had 'surprised' him (definitely not scared him, nope not at all) things had just gone downhill from there. Sirius had toddled off Merlin-knew-where, and both the platform and the train was crammed full of families and students in the mad rush to get a good compartment. It was now that Harry's small stature let him know just _how_ annoying it could be when trying to push through a swarm of older, louder, and most certainly bigger students, who had infuriatingly chosen to stand right in the entrance to the _Hogwarts Express_.

Yes, that's right; he hadn't even got on the train yet.

He'd tried everything. Shoving; but he'd got pushed back. Shouting; but they'd ignored him. Scowling ferociously and tapping his foot impatiently; this had done nothing. Hexing seemed like a good idea, but he didn't know any. He even considered setting Sapphire on them, but he didn't want her to get away. Of course, Harry _could_ crawl over their feet, but then, only an idiot would do that.

He'd tried going to other the entrances, but they were no different. So he was doing the only thing he could do, waiting for the crowd to go down and then going to find his deserting brother – who had so shamelessly abandoned him – and yell loud and long at said deserting brother. It seemed like a good plan, so Harry leant against the side of the scarlet steam train and closed his eyes, just listening to the sounds around him.

…

…

…

The sounds around him really weren't that interesting.

…

…

…

Peaceful though.

…

…

…

Except for that distant thunder, maybe it was going to rain soon.

…

Maybe very soon, judging by how quickly it was approaching.

And there was that odd roaring sound too.

Like a huge crowd of people were all yelling at once.

…

In fact, _very_ like a huge crowd of people were all yelling at once.

Harry opened his eyes.

The thunder seemed to be coming from inside the _Express_.

And was it just him, or was the train vibrating?

…

With growing trepidation he slowly turned his head to look down the length of the train. Other wizarding people were also looking at the mode of transport with expressions of confusion, murmuring to one another anxiously.

The roaring thunder got louder.

…

Why did he have the uneasy feeling that his brother was involved in this?

The entrance two carriages down from Harry exploded, and three dark shapes shot out in a flurry of robes and owl feathers. Two of these shapes fell heavily to the ground, one of them accidentally letting go of a school trunk, which hit the ground and burst open, its contents spilling everywhere. An owl flew out after the shapes – which happen to be three students – and it squawked frenziedly about looking sufficiently tousled. The third shape hit the ground running, and a mortified Harry identified it as Sirius.

His twin had somehow got himself covered in black ink, with two dark streaks beneath his eyes. There were tuffs of spare feathers down the front of his robes, and the back of him appeared to be dripping in juice. He had lost one of his shoes and his hair seemed to have had glitter dropped on it, so sparkly pieces flew off behind him as Sirius ran. He had this terrified expression on his face as if he were being chased… by a… angry… horde…

An angry horde burst out of the train behind Sirius, unfortunately trampling the hapless shapes that were still on the ground. The enraged teeming mass was led by about a dozen girls screaming and shouting obesities at Sirius, the occasionally curse or hex flying at him. Behind them came other students who seemed to be angry about being half-trampled or cursed by accident from the girls, some of these students looked even worse off then Sirius; some with green hair, or sprouting boils, or completely covered in what looked like toad-glop. Others just seemed to be joining in for the fun of it.

"Hah-ha…" Harry chuckled weakly, "There he is."

"MISCRETANT!" the lead girl screeched at Sirius's back, above all the other shouting, "HELL-BORN HEATHEN! DEGENERANT WRETCH!"

Harry had to admire the girl's creative ability in insults, she'd probably already used up all the easy ones.

"YOU INSANE WITCH!" Sirius screamed back over his shoulder.

"WHAT DID HE SAY?" the lead girl asked another girl who was chasing next to her.

"HE CALLED YOU A VAIN BITCH!"

"IGNOMINY OF HUMAN NATURE!" the lead girl shrieked passionately, sending a stream of purple light from her wand that narrowly missed Sirius's head.

"YOU ARE A NUT!" Sirius yelped, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

The other girl obligingly translated, "HE SAID YOU ARE A SLUT! YET DISPLAY OBESITY!"

As one, the horde screamed with outrage, increasing its pace on the Black family heir. Observers still on the platform gaped bug-eyed in shock at the scene before them, parents covering their children's ears to protect them. Sirius yelped again as another hex came dangerously close to his heels, he leapt forward frantically.

Meanwhile, Harry suddenly found himself faced with a stampeding horde of rampaging students out for his brother's blood. For half-a-moment he pondered joining the horde, but that idea was soon diminished by Sirius reaching his side and grabbing his arm, pulling Harry along behind him and forcing him to run with him. Effectively putting both of them running away from the horde, when Harry hadn't done anything other then be related to the guy.

"HARRY, THERE YOU ARE! I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR YOU!" Sirius scolded, tempting Harry into seriously considering the angry horde option.

"I'D SAY THAT'S NOT ALL YOU'VE BEEN UP TO!" Harry yelled back, feeling more than a little pissed off.

"YOU'RE RIGHT!" Sirius admitted cheerfully, "COME ON, YOU SHOULD MEET THIS KID, HE'S LIKE YOUR TWIN!"

Harry gave him a strange look while still managing to keep pace, "ERR… SIRI? _YOU'RE_ LIKE MY TWIN!"

Sirius waved his hand dismissively, as if it was a minor detail.

"YOU VILE PEST! YOU DESPICABLE BEAST!" the lead girl screamed from behind them, "YOU PUTRID RAT!"

Sirius made to stop, as if he were about to stand his ground defiantly, "OI! I RESENT THAT STATEM–"

Harry grabbed his twin's shoulder and pulled him along grimly, "NOW IS _NOT_ THE TIME TO BE RIGETEOUS, SIRI!" he informed his obviously insane twin, or at least, insanely stupid.

"THIS WAY!" Sirius yelled and he darted towards a train entrance, whipping Harry along behind him as he used his barrelling strength and momentum to barge past the students standing in the way. A few chaotic moments later Sirius slammed open a compartment door and then similarly shut it. In a flash – both the twins were crouched below the compartment door window, listening as raving mad students charged past. They held their breath in silence until the thundering roaring had faded away, and the floor beneath their feet stopped shaking.

"Do you think it's safe?" Sirius asked in a hushed whisper.

But Harry never got to answer, because at that moment he turned to see himself burst into uproarious laughter.

"What the – bloody hell – happened to you?" the fake-Harry gasped between laughing. His question was directed at Sirius, who – for some reason – was looking very proud of himself. "You left – for like five minutes, and the entire train – explodes!" Howling with laughter the fake-Harry collapsed on the seat, next to a pile of sorry-looking fireworks. "And – just look at you – Ha!"

Sirius examined his ink-stained fingernails smugly, "I do believe Prank Number One goes to me."

Harry gaped.

"Of course!" fake-Harry bounced excitedly, his eyes twinkling mischievously, "wow this is going to be great, I can't wait to find something to top that!"

Harry finally regained use of his voice, "THAT WAS A PRANK!" he yelled furiously, standing up to glare at Sirius.

Sirius looked suitably ashamed of himself, "Err… well… it was more like an escalated accident… but yes I guess…"

"It was a prank!" Harry repeated wrathfully. Sirius shrunk back as an impromptu staring match ensued.

Meanwhile fake-Harry finally noticed real Harry and at first gaped at him, before swallowing his shock and an irritated scowled graced his features.

"I thought you said you liked pranks," fake-Harry accused Sirius, talking as if real Harry wasn't there.

Sirius just gulped as Harry's eye twitched.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU PULLED THE FIRST PRANK AT HOGWARTS WITHOUT ME!" Harry yelled, tackling Sirius to the ground and wrestling with him until he came out on top.

Fake-Harry was back to gaping like a fish, before he starting laughing again.

"You – You guys – are a real riot!" he declared, positively radiant about that fact.

"And why would that be?" Harry ground out, using all his strength and anger in keeping Sirius where he was.

"Huh, well I thought for a second you were one of _those_ people. You know, the ones that think pulling pranks is… – _wrong_ –" fake-Harry whispered, as if it were a great secret. All three boys shuddered at the thought.

"As if!" Harry finally sat up, rolling off Sirius and letting him breathe. "If you think _he's_ bad, you should see my pranks, I'm the brains behind the whole sha-bang."

Sirius rubbed his ribs wincingly, "He's also the evil twin, so he's doubly dangerous," he confided to the fake-Harry. Harry hit him again, but Sirius just gestured as if that proved his point.

Fake-Harry looked like he was about to explode, or at least have his face spilt in half from grinning too widely. "Twins? You're twins?"

Harry nodded grumpily, "Yeah, and we're _supposed_ to be a team!" he glared at Sirius.

Sirius shrugged nonplussed, "Well look at it this way, we're not at Hogwarts yet so, _technically_, it _wasn't_ the first prank at Hogwarts."

Harry cocked his head as he mulled this over, then he smiled happily, "I guess that's true!" he jumped to his feet, holding out his hand to help Sirius up. The three black haired boys all looked at each other for a moment, Harry moving to face fake-Harry and narrowing his eyes at him.

"Alright fake-Harry," Harry started, prodding the other boy with his finger, "what's the big deal with imitating me? Though you know… you got the eyes wrong," he pointed out helpfully. Fake-Harry just beamed at him as if Harry had passed some sort of test.

"The name's James Potter," the boy said holding out his hand confidently.

Harry eyed it, wondering if this was a trick, but then mentally shrugged, "Harry Black," he said taking the hand. A strange feeling rose inside him, like a tingling in the back of his mind – like there was something important that Harry was missing. Harry frowned, oddly reminded of the strange old man from before. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder, first that old wizard, now this strange boy who liked like his twin (not like Sirius, more like an identical twin)… maybe it was a conspiracy… "Nah," Harry murmured to himself, "just a coincidence."

"Yeah it probably is," James agreed next to him, "though it is strange."

Harry blinked, "Huh?"

"How much we look like each other," James clarified.

"Oh. Yeah."

Sirius, obviously feeling a little left out, jumped in and threw a heavy arm over Harry, mussing up his hair as he did so. "James here, reckons he's the ultimate God of all Pranks." Harry scowled at Sirius, attempting to fix his hair, before his twin's words caught up with him and he looked back at James with interest.

"Really, now," his green eyes twinkled impishly, "that sounds like a challenge to our throne."

"Most definitely," Sirius agreed with him, and they analysed James in such a way that would have any full-grown adult backing away in fear. The Potter boy however, appeared to remain unruffled as they considered whether or not he'd be a worthy opponent.

"In fact," James hopped on top of the compartment seat, standing up as if giving an important announcement to a huge crowd of people, "I propose a game of sorts; to find the _real_ ultimate God of all Pranks, by way of a prank war."

Harry and Sirius glanced at each other, "We're listening," they said, crossing their arms.

"Great!" James said excitedly, sliding down to sit on the seat, "then why don't we work out all the details during the ride?"

Sirius keenly growled, "Sounds purr-fect," and he sprawled out on the seat next to James.

A whistle blew in the back ground as the train got ready to depart.

Sirius blinked in confusion when his twin didn't join him, he turned back around to see Harry still standing there looking at him in total abject horror.

"Um… Harry?" Sirius inquired, raising a brow, "Is everything all right?"

Harry seemed to be momentarily incapable of speech.

James grinned at him, amused at his strange reaction, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

All the colour drained from Harry's face as he spluttered, "C – C – C –"

"Blimey! You've gotta be joking!" Sirius bellowed, finally catching on. James was now looking back and forth between the twins, not understanding anything.

"Seriously guys, what's the problem?" he asked.

"_MY_ _CAT!!_" Harry howled and rocketed out the room.

"Hurry Harry! It's eleven!" Sirius flew after him. James, not really knowing what was going on – but not wanting to miss out either, pounded after them.

Harry shot down the corridor faster then a flying Snitch, reaching the nearest train exit in record time. Slamming onto the platform he instantly spotted his lonesome trunk next to the train where Harry had been leaning before. Families waved their children off, and they in turn, half-hung out the windows yelling goodbye. Platform 9¾ was significantly emptier now that all the students were safely on the train… well except for Harry that was.

The hiss of pistons filled the station and the _Hogwarts Express_ began to slowly creak forward.

"NO, WAIT! WAIT!" Harry futilely roared in desperation. The hunk of metal ignored him and instead went faster. Finally reaching his trunk he snatched it up in both arms and dashed along next to the rapidly accelerating train. Harry panted, trying to get a grip on his heavy trunk – a train entrance went past him, but by the time Harry noticed it, it was already too far ahead.

"Next one then," he puffed to himself, and made the mistake of looking back for it, thereby taking his eyes off where he was running.

"Oh _my_!" a woman exclaimed, stepping back hurriedly. Unfortunately for Harry she forgot to take her fairly large bag with her. He smashed into it – tripping in a rather spectacular fashion – yet somehow managing to remain upright, resulting in an odd stumbling hop. The next entrance flashed past faster then the other one.

"Sorry!" Harry called over his shoulder already running again.

_Oh well, there's still one more entrance, I'll make it this time_, Harry promised himself determinedly. A dull thumping noise reached his ears and he looked up to see a panicky Sirius inside the train corridor, half-running in the opposite direction to Harry so as to keep him in view. His twin was yelling something, but the glass prevented sound from getting out. Close behind Sirius was James, both of them dodging around students still loitering in the corridor. Harry shifted the trunk under one arm, so that he was ready to grab the entrance rail. The train was going much faster now, chugging away out to its destination, a stream of smoke trailing above it. Gasping for air, Harry sprinted, keeping an eye out for the next train entrance – _There_!

Harry lurched forward and triumphantly grasped the entrance rail, pulling himself up to get on properly. Then disaster struck as Harry felt the trunk slipping out from under his arm, and in his panic to hold onto it, he accidentally let go of the railing. _NO! _He landed back on the platform, successfully still with the trunk in his grasp, but now with no way to get on the train, the last entrance was drifting further away._ This isn't happening! This is – not – happening! _Wait, but he still had one chance, one last chance to get on the train. Admittedly it was a long shot, but it was still a chance. With new resolve Harry began running harder then ever, keeping a tight grip on his trunk. But then another problem presented itself; Harry was running out of platform.

The end of the _Express_ was coming up, along with Harry's last chance. The scarlet train was going too fast, the platform was too short, and every bit of common sense was screaming at him that this was a bad idea. Harry firmly told his common sense to shut up.

Suddenly he was out of time, the end of the train and the platform was upon him. Harry tightened his grip on his trunk – and flew.

He launched himself off the end of the platform, diving for the end of the train; hand outstretched, and by some miracle, he managed to close it around the bar. Harry slammed into the back railing, his head dazedly spinning, but his hands still grasped in a white-knuckle grip. His short stature (which was undoubtedly the most wonderful thing in the world) meant that his legs dangled high above the blurring train-tracks beneath him, his trunk waving behind him.

Reality caught up with Harry, and he realised this was most-assuredly – _the_ _stupidest_ – thing he'd ever done. With his common sense singing 'I told you so' he wondered what the hell he was going to do now.

The door to the back of the train burst open, and Harry's saviours breathlessly gasped onto the small stand at the back of the train. Sirius was looking around wildly, appearing pale, and James stood edgily to one side. Sirius now looked a little confused, but that quickly turned to horror as he looked back at the slowly disappearing Platform 9¾. James' face took on an apologetic look and he seemed to be searching for words as well as breathe now.

Harry, beginning to get annoyed at his saviours, decided to speak up.

"A little – _help_ – would be nice round about now," he growled. Sirius and James looked down and their jaws dropped in shock. Yelping in alarm Sirius lurched forward to pull his brother up, James at his side. Finally all three of the boys, and Harry's trunk, were piled on the small stand, on their way to Hogwarts.

**TBT**

"I've known you two for about ten minutes, and I'm under the complete impression that you're both insane," James said as they got back to their compartment.

"That's what everyone says about our family," Sirius remarked tiredly, plopping back down on the seat.

"Oi, it's not over yet," Harry said, beginning to unlatch his trunk.

"Over?" James laughed, "We just got off the station. This day has barely started."

"Hey, you're right," Sirius cheered up, and then looked down at Harry, "whatcha doing?"

"Making sure Sapphire's okay,"

The grin slipped off Sirius's face and he jumped behind James using the other boy as a human shield.

James's short experience with the twins was enough to cause him hesitation. "Who's Sapphire?" he questioned suspiciously, trying to edge away from Harry and the trunk.

"An evil demon fanged fiend, with deadly claws like razor-sharp knives, a creature of darkness – a nightmare monster with huge purple eyes capable of hypnotising and brainwashing – at least when it comes to Harry," Sirius warned ominously.

"Ah," James gulped.

"Nonsense," Harry dismissed, "she's an absolute darling." And then he opened the trunk; literally letting the cat out of the bag.

_RREOW_!

A miniature black beast erupted from the trunk, knocking Harry over and running riot around the compartment. James and Sirius yelled in fear as the small black blur came hissingly close to their faces.

"Catch her!" Harry implored, trying to do just that.

"Are you crazy?!" Sirius barked, "I'm not going near that thing!"

Harry growled threateningly at him, and leapt after his furious and wayward pet. Sapphire scampered skittishly away right for James's leg, which she had no problem with clambering up in panic and proceeding to latch onto his back. James, however, did seem to have a problem with it.

"WA-HAHHHOUCH! Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff!" James frantically danced around the compartment, trying in vain to reach the small cat. Sapphire had dug her claws in hard to the back of his robes, ears flat against her head and eyes wide in fear.

"Calm down, you'll hurt her!" Harry said anxiously, trying to grab her off James.

"HURT _HER_!"

Sirius wasn't being any help, instead choosing to laugh at James's bad luck and his own good fortune that it wasn't him.

"Just stand still!" Harry roared, and he finally managed to grab his cat. James did as he was bid, standing perfectly still as Harry coxed Sapphire into retracting her claws from his back. "There, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Harry said lightly. James glowered at Sapphire, who had calmed down enough to look like an innocent kitten. He went to sit next to a still sniggering Sirius, muttering under his breath. Harry let Sapphire climb onto the windowsill where she promptly curled up, both Sirius and James eyed her guardedly.

"Right," Harry turned to the boys, and paused, "now where were we? Oh yes, the prank war!"

That sent off a loud conversation between the boys as they decided the guidelines (not rules, as Sirius said) and worked out how one would win the title of the ultimate God of Pranks. So lost in their conversation were the boys that they barely noticed a red-headed girl come in and take a seat on the chair opposite them. She seemed rather miserable and sat quietly gazing out the window – obviously wanting to be left alone – so the boys ignored her. Eventually the door opened again and a boy with shoulder-length greasy black hair came in and took at seat next to the girl, he was already in his school robes.

It wasn't until several minutes later that the three boys took any real notice of the newcomers.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," the greasy-haired boy said to the girl.

"Slytherin?" James looked around at the word, "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Sirius lounged back and exchanged a dark grimace with Harry.

"Our whole family have been in Slytherin," he said.

James looked taken aback, "Blimey, and I thought you guys seemed alright!"

Sirius and Harry grinned. "Maybe we'll break the tradition." Harry said, eyes flashing briefly at the thought, "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James lifted an invisible sword, "'_Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' _Like my dad."

The greasy-haired boy made a small, disparaging noise, and James turned to him. The greasy-haired boy frankly reminded Harry too much of his family, Sirius appeared much in the same mind.

James didn't seem bothered in picking a fight. "Got a problem with that?"

"No," the other boy sneered, "If you'd rather be brawny then brainy –"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected Sirius. Harry grinned at his twin for sticking up for their new friend. James laughed loudly and clapped Sirius on the back.

The red-head girl sat up, revealing a rather flushed face, and she looked at the three boys in disgust. The grin was quickly wiped from Harry's face.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment."

"Oooooo…" James and Sirius imitated her lofty voice; and James tried to trip the boy as he passed.

"Wait!"

Harry jumped up and blocked off the door before the two could leave; James and Sirius looked at him in confusion.

"Let us through," the boy snarled.

"Just wait a second,"

"What?" the girl snapped, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him. Harry just stared back and she blinked, her attitude suddenly changing, and her mouth making an 'oh' shape.

Harry found himself staring into his own green emerald, almond shaped eyes. The compartment went silent as the two stared at each other, the other three occupants wondering what was going on.

"Err… What's your name?" Harry asked just to break the silence.

"Lily Evans," the girl seemed just as stunned as he was.

"Harry Black."

A distant memory of someone else staring into his eyes brought itself to the fore-front of Harry's mind.

"Ollivander!" he said, "You must be the 'one other' he was talking about! So, he _wasn't_ hitting on me!" Harry was very relieved about that fact.

"Mr. Ollivander was talking about me?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"Hm-mm, don't worry, he didn't say anything bad,"

"Oh. Good." she said unsurely.

"Okay, see-ya then Evans. Good luck with the sorting-thingy," he stepped out of their way and bounced back over to his seat.

"Thanks…" she said – it came out almost as a question.

The sliding door closed behind them.

Several moments of silence past.

"…What?" Harry asked Sirius and James, who were still staring at him.

**TBT**

Eventually the boys decided on the not-rules, or in other words, the guidelines:

The Black twins vs. James Potter (the Great)

All houses must be targeted at some point.

All houses must be targeted together at some point.

They can prank each other.

Teachers must be targeted at some point.

Dumbledore is optional.

Others must witness their prank in order to vouch for it.

Or else you need proof – example photos.

The prankster(s) who gains the total number of pranks wins.

Winner is declared at the end of the school year.

Loser has to do something of the winner's choice.

Happy with the outcome, Harry started rolling a cat toy around for Sapphire, careful not to bounce it in the small compartment. Sirius and James began loudly proclaiming past pranks and devious deeds each had done. Harry, soon getting bored with the brag-fest, went to go and get changed into his school robes. They were so caught up in their own egos, he wasn't even sure if they heard him leave.

Going to the nearest bathroom he changed into his first-year school robes, pausing to look at his reflection in the mirror. Green eyes stared back at him. He had never seen someone with eyes like his before, none of the other members in the Black family had eyes like his, and past family member's portraits showed no results either. Lily Evans was a first. Then there was Ollivander. He must have seen loads of other students as the old man owned the only wand shop in Britain._ We couldn't be the only ones with green coloured eyes, could we?_ But then, the creepy old man hadn't said that, he'd said he had 'only seen one other with eyes like yours'. _Is Lily related to the Black family in some way?_ Frankly too many weird things had been happening lately for Harry's liking, first Ollivander, then that old man on the platform with the piercing blue eyes focused only on him, James – his strange identical twin that wasn't his twin – and now that red-hair girl. It was a mystery out of his reach, the answers dancing out of view, and it was infuriating Harry to no foreseeable end.

Heaving a sigh he decided to put it out of his mind. Obviously this day was just going to be one weird event after another, and there was nothing he could do or say to change that. Harry left the bathroom and made his way back to his compartment. Half-way there he paused as a familiar someone came into view. In the corner of a nearly empty compartment – was a boy curled up on a seat, reading a book. The boy looked a little pale and his light brown hair flopped forward onto his face. Harry slid the compartment door open.

"Hey there!"

The boy looked up, startled from his book, amber eyes widening at the sight of Harry.

"You're the insane cannon-balling boy," he said. Then he blinked and flushed, "err, I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yep." Harry said cheerfully, coming to sit opposite the boy, "That's okay, you're the innocent bystander. I'm Harry Black. You a first year too?"

"Yes, I'm Remus Lupin."

"Nice to meet you. Hey, ah, listen; I really am sorry about the other day. Cannon-balling into you and everything," Harry apologised sheepishly.

"It's okay, no harm done, as you said,"

"Great," Harry brightened, "So looking forward to Hogwarts?"

"Very much."

"Which House are you hoping for?"

"Oh any, I'll just be happy to be at Hogwarts," Remus said.

Harry smirked, remembering his family. "Huh, I know how you feel."

"What happened to the other boy with you in Diagon Alley?" Remus asked curiously, before flushing again, "I mean, if you don't mind me asking,"

Harry flapped a hand and lounged back in his seat. "Oh he's a first-year too, he's off bonding with his soul-mate," Harry rolled his eyes, thinking of how Sirius and James had taken to each other.

"Ah,"

"My twin; Sirius, can sometimes get a little distracted,"

"You're a twin?"

"Yeah, hey you wanna meet them?" Harry leaned forward grinning.

"Oh, I err – I don't know, I mean I don't think –"

"Come on, I'll introduce you," Harry grabbed Remus' arm and pulled him up; "besides you don't want to stay in here by yourself, do you?"

"Um… no?"

"Course not!"

Harry dragged Remus back to his compartment, throwing open the door and stepping in proudly.

"Look who I found!" he announced, interrupting the boy's rowdy conversation and pulling a blushing Remus into view.

"Um, hello," Remus gave a little wave.

Sirius and James looked at him interestedly.

"He's the boy from the incident," Harry clarified, "the 'Flourish and Blotts's one that is."

"I'm Remus Lupin, you must be Sirius," he said, smiling at James.

James blinked, and then fell back roaring with laughter. Sirius gave his canine grin, his eyes beginning to glitter.

"You know, we could have a lot fun at Hogwarts with this,"

"Mmm, just imagine the possibilities," Harry mimicked his grin.

"… I'm sorry… I don't…" Remus looked lost.

Harry turned back to the shy boy, "Sirius, my twin," he introduced pointing to the other Black boy, and then at Potter, "This is just James, he's a weird freak of nature."

"Hey!"

"Anyway, Remus was bored by himself so he's joining us, right?"

Remus blushed again at having all eyes on him, "Oh, well I wouldn't say bored as such–"

"Great! You can sit with me," Harry yanked him down onto the seat.

"Okay then…"

"Oh and this is my cat, Sapphire. Isn't she a darling?" Harry dreamily patted the black kitten, Sapphire opened her eyes.

"She-devil," Sirius muttered darkly, feeling past scratches obtained by the 'darling'.

"Um, yeah,"

"What's the matter?" Harry turned to Remus at his tone.

"What? Oh, nothing! It's just… cats usually don't like me much…"

"That's okay," Sirius said, "I don't like cats either, fuzzy-little-gremlins-in-disguise, the lot of them."

Harry squinted at Remus, "Oh no, you're not another dog-person, are you?"

Remus seemed flustered, "Err… I guess… something like that,"

Harry glowered at the three boys, feeling out-numbered as they all eyed Sapphire. The black kitten began purring deeply under Harry's hand.

"Sheesh, why does everyone hate cats?"

"We don't need a reason. They're evil, end of story," Sirius said.

"No, _not_ end of story! Sapphire is a precious gem, an angel in the form of a feline–"

"Beast," Sirius cut in matter-of-factly, "and of course you'd say that, you're brainwashed,"

Harry groaned with frustration, "For the last time I am _not_ brainwashed!"

"Are too,"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"You are! That cat is nothing but trouble, you'll see!"

A great clattering sounded from the corridor interrupting the boys' growing feud. A smiling, dimpled young woman slid back their door.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?"

Feud forgotten, three boys leapt to their feet, all scrounging for coins in their robe pockets. After a month of only eating Kreacher's grey mush – Harry could feel his mouth watering at the mere thought of proper food. James grinned and winked at the woman as he paid for his Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans and Drooble's Best Blowing Gum. Sirius and Harry brought piles of Pumpkin Pasties, a couple of Cauldron Cakes, lots of Liquorice Wands, and a few Chocolate Frogs, nearly cleaning the trolley out. Harry was about to start digging in when Remus – who was hunched over by the window and pretending to be very interested in the view – caught his eye. For the first time Harry realised that the boy's robes were a lot more frayed then his, like they were second hand or something.

Then the smell of a Pumpkin Pasty became too much for his grumbling stomach, and he hastily took a large bite out of it. The compartment went quieter with both he and Sirius eating like they were half-staved (which, funnily enough, they were), and James pulling various faces as he chomped through the Every Flavour Beans. So quick – he might have imagined it – Harry saw Remus' amber eye flicker towards the chocolate frogs on the seat, before going back to the window.

"Wan' won?" Harry asked him through a mouthful of food. Remus turned to him surprised, and Harry could already see the boy's mouth forming protests. He swallowed. "Seriously, here take one," without giving Remus a chance to object, he threw a Chocolate Frog into his lap.

"I – ah – t-thanks," Remus stammered. Harry just grinned at him, moving on to a Liquorice Wand.

Night had began to fall out-side the compartment windows by the time Sirius and James got changed into their school robes. As they were nearing the school, the twins began to suppress their boisterous behaviour, both anxious and unsure about the sorting. Remus went back to reading his book and Sapphire tired of playing with the cat toys, so now Harry had nothing to distract him. With James so confident that he'd be a Gryffindor, it seemed that other than Harry, only Sirius was worried. Harry peered out the window. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky; the train seemed to be slowing down.

A voice echoed through the compartment, '_We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time, Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately._' Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Sirius, he saw, looked paler then normal. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets, Harry making sure Sapphire was safe in her cat carrier, pocketing her cat toys and making sure he had his wand. Then the four boys joined the thronging crowd in the corridor. The train slowed right down and finally stopped, people pushed their way out the exits and onto a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air, wrapping his arms around him to hold in the warmth of the compartment.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

A giant of a man was standing on the platform, his huge smile nearly covered by his shaggy mane of hair and wild tangled beard.

"Any more firs' years? C'mon, follow me! Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

They trailed behind the massive man down a steep, narrow path, the trees so thick on each side that it was hard to see.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." Harry gasped along with the other first years; the narrow path had suddenly opened onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Harry turned to grin at Sirius; they had speculated about Hogwarts, but the real thing blew all their theories out of the air. The giant man ordered four students to a boat – which were sitting in the water by the shore. James, Remus and the twins all clamoured into one. Remus seemed transfixed by the sight of Hogwarts and he sat by the stern as if he never wanted to move again.

James was the opposite.

As the boats moved off across the smooth glass-like lake he shifted from one side to the other, his eyes shining excitedly. The rocking motion was making Harry even more uncomfortable, not doing a thing to calm his still jumping stomach. He had never been over an expanse of water like this, and didn't think he knew how to swim, but he was certain he didn't want to find out tonight. He slid away from the thrilled brunette, huddling closer to Sirius.

"My dad said there's a giant squid somewhere down there!" James leant over the side of the boat peering eagerly into the dark water, "Do you reckon if we splash a bit, it'll come up?" the boat rocked sideways as he moved. James leant out further, striving to touch the water, and the boat swayed with the motion. To Harry's alarm; he felt himself slipping down the wooden bench towards the dark depths.

A strong hand grabbed his arm, holding him in place.

"Will you cut that out?!" Sirius barked, gripping Harry's arm tightly.

James twisted around, surprised at his tone. "Fine," he frowned, and sat down properly. They sailed for a few moments in tense silence.

"Hey, Siri?" Harry asked, as casually as possible, "mind letting go of my arm? You're kind of cutting off my circulation."

"Oh, whoops," Sirius gave his canine grin and released it.

"That's okay. I know you hate taking baths."

James snorted.

Harry smirked.

Sirius growled.

"Hey, we're here," Remus interrupted softly.

A few minutes later they walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door. The giant man raised a massive fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

**TBT**

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and looked like someone who would be fun to stir up.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant man.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big it made the Black entrance hall seem miniscule in comparison. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and there was a magnificent marble staircase nearby leading to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right. The first years crowded around; standing rather closer together than they would usually have done and peering about nervously. "Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall said, "the start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts…" _Not if I have anything to do with it_, Harry thought darkly, determinedly setting his jaw. _No way in hell… _"… While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points…" Sirius nudged Harry from behind, and they exchanged grins. "… I shall return when we are ready for you," finished Professor McGonagall, "please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

"How do you reckon they sort us?" James wondered loudly.

"_Shh_," a prissy looking girl shushed him.

"What?" James asked, morphing his face into one of confusion and not lowering his voice one bit.

"She said to wait_ quietly_," the girl hissed anxiously, her blonde plaited hair swung around as she twisted her body.

"You know, I heard that the sorting was a kind of test," James continued, still not lowering his voice, "they use this thing that deems whether or not you're worthy enough of entering Hogwarts." He had all the first years' attention now and most of them were looking at him in horror, as if he'd confirmed their worst fears. "It works by sucking at your brain, but don't worry, it doesn't hurt _too_ much. But it has been known to send people insane, and one time it accidentally sucked off this girl's hair…" the blonde girl squeaked in fear, grabbing her long plait as if afraid it would fall off. "But then again, that's just a rumour. I'm sure it's not _really_ true," James winked reassuringly. The other first years simultaneously gulped, except for Harry and Sirius who knew a prank when they saw one.

Not to be outdone they started, "I heard, that if the thing deems you not worthy–"

"– enough of Hogwarts, it'll eat you."

The boys traded sly grins as the crowd of first years paled.

"The Sorting Ceremony's about to start," said a sharp voice. Professor McGonagall had returned. "Now form a line, and follow me."

The light teasing of their classmates really hadn't done anything to calm Harry's nerves and he felt jittery as he fell in behind James; with Sirius behind him, and they walked through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables – were the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, ghosts shone misty silver. Harry looked upwards and saw a velvety black enchanted ceiling scattered with stars.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. Then on top of that she put a patched, frayed and pointed wizard's hat. Harry regarded the hat cautiously, fearful murmurs spread through the first years, and suddenly Harry wasn't so sure about the teasing words from before.

The hat twitched.

The first years instinctively took a step back.

A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing:

_Oh, I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find,_

_A smarter hat then me._

(The first years blanched at the word; eat)

_The four founders' sought to sort you,_

_So just whip me on your head,_

_They filled me up with lots of brains,_

_So I could choose instead!_

(Total horror filled their faces)

_There's nothing hidden in your head,_

_No knowledge I can't see,_

_So put me on, and I'll suck out,_

_The perfect place for thee._

(Someone started whimpering)

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry,_

_Might be right for you to start._

_Or maybe in fair Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and true,_

_Patient, loyal, Hufflepuff,_

_Might be the place for you._

_Or perhaps wise old Ravenclaw,_

_Where wait those of wit and learning,_

_If you obtain a ready mind,_

_This house will fill your yearning._

_Or you might belong in Slytherin,_

_Where your ambitions can arise,_

_With those cunning folk of power,_

_May be where your future lies. _

_So slip me snug about your ears,_

_And my purpose I'll pursue,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind,_

_Find the House worthy of you._

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song.

Well, everyone except for the first years – who had huddled together and as a group looked more terrified then ever.

Professor McGonagall frowned lightly and stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool," she said. The first years were so pale now that they rather resembled the ghosts. They took another step backwards away from the hat, some looking at the Professor like she was completely mad. Amused, but confused murmurs from the other Hogwarts students filled the Hall; Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly to quieten them.

"Anton, Abigail!" she called.

One of the first years squeaked, but no one stepped forward.

Professor McGonagall's frown grew more pronounced, "Come now, Anton, Abigail!"

Still no one answered. But then the prissy girl from before with the blonde plait stepped forward, looking absolutely petrified, grasping her long hair tightly by her shoulder – her hand was shaking. Students started whispering to one another at the tables, it sounded to Harry as if they were betting on what House she would be in.

"Definitely a Hufflepuff," someone whispered.

"Yeah, a 'Puff for sure – look how she's shaking,"

The blonde-haired girl edged forward towards the stool. With all eyes upon her, her fingers wavered above the frayed tip of the Sorting Hat. The first years waited with bated breath…

Abigail squeaked and fainted.

It took several moments of shock before the Great Hall burst into laughter, the teachers looking just as bemused as half the students. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips thinly and raised her eyebrows, she turned to look at the Headmaster; Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognised him from previous Chocolate Frog cards he'd had. Professor Dumbledore stroked his sliver beard thoughtfully, a small smile played on his lips and his eyes twinkled, he signalled something to the Deputy Headmistress, and she nodded.

"Now really," Professor McGonagall turned back; sounding annoyed. She put her hands on her hips, surveying the first years, "there is nothing to be afraid of."

"Nothing to be afraid of!" a sandy-haired boy started incredulously, "You heard it, it's going to suck out our brains!" Other first years joined in fearfully.

"Yeah, or eat us!"

"Or drive us mental!"

"Yeah!"

"I'm not touching that thing!"

"Me neither!"

"I wish I'd stayed home –"

"Isn't there another way to be sorted?"

"There is _nothing_ to be afraid of!" McGonagall bristled, "and the hat is not going to '_suck out your brains'_, or anything else along those lines!"

"Then why don't _you_ put it on?" someone muttered mutinously. Students started sniggering at the front of the tables, which quickly grew once more to laughter throughout the hall.

"I don't need to be sorted!" Professor McGonagall all but shouted, "This is utterly ridiculous! Never in my life…" she growled, then pointed her wand and muttered something under her breath. The blonde first year girl sat up blearily. "Anton, go to the back of the line," McGonagall frigidly ordered, and she unrolled the parchment again, "right, now no more of this silly nonsense, QUIET!" she yelled, silencing the still sniggering students. "Right, Black, Harry!"

Taking a deep breath, Harry stepped forward looking more confident then he felt. He heard Sirius murmur something encouraging, but it was too low to catch the words. The older students started whispering again, their bets shifting past Harry's ears.

"Slytherin for sure, that one,"

"Oh I don't know…"

"Don't be silly, _all_ Blacks are in Slytherin,"

"Yeah they're one of the darkest pure-blood families of all time,"

"Slimy snake."

Harry tried to ignore them, instead concentrating on keeping a cool outlook. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat, appearing as if she would ram it down around his ears if she had to. He quickly sat on the stool and the hat dropped over his eyes. He waited for it to begin sucking his brains out.

"Suck your brains out?" a small voice chuckled in Harry's ear, "oh that's a good one, sorry did I give that impression? Oh well, now lets see, a Black eh? Oh but what's this? Hmm... This is different, really quite odd… difficult, very difficult… plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, quite intelligent, you'll do well in your classes I believe, and there's talent… and – my goodness, a nice thirst to prove yourself… loyal those close to you… a true heart… an enigma really… but where to put you?"

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, _not Slytherin, anywhere but Slytherin. I'd even rather be devoured by a crummy-old-hat then be put in Slytherin._

"Who are you calling a crummy-old-hat?! Humph, youth these days…"

_Sorry, sorry_, Harry quickly tried to amend, _I forgot you suck at my thoughts with your tattered – I mean aged – no shabby…err shabbiness – no shabbishness…es… I'll just stop thinking now… if that's possible Mr. Shabby hat sir. Please don't suck out my brains._

"Oh for the love of…" the hat seemed to sigh, "So not Slytherin, eh? Are you sure? You will be great you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that… the other Blacks have all been in that house, it's tradition – no? Well, if you're sure – better be GRYFFINDOR!" it shouted the last word to the whole hall. Harry took off the hat.

Stunned silence met him.

…

…

…

Harry carefully placed the hat back on the stool – the meeting of the materiel and wood sounded abnormally loud. The teachers had frozen were they sat, blatantly staring at Harry with wide eyes and open mouths. Even Professor McGonagall looked completely thrown for words. Harry glanced around the motionless hall, and his eyes met those of the Headmaster. Albus Dumbledore had leaned forward in his gold chair, peering intently at the Black boy over half-moon glasses with still twinkling blue eyes.

Very _familiar_ blue eyes.

_Holy Mother of Merlin_, Harry thought, feeling like his head was going to explode, y_ou've got to be kidding me._

A solitary clapping snapped Harry back to reality; the Headmaster was applauding.

"GO HARRY! HAHA! I _KNEW_ YOU COULD DO IT!" Sirius burst from behind him, cheering wildly; he bounced forward and caught Harry up in an enormous bone-crushing hug. This woke up the entire hall, sending them into simple chaos.

The Gryffindors roared with approval, jumping up from their benches and jeering at the Slytherins as if they had won a prize from them. The Slytherins hissed their displeasure, snarling insults at Harry and his twin. Harry spotted Narcissa's face in the sneering mass, her nose twisted as if she smelt something bad, and her eyes shot daggers at him, promising that he would pay.

At the Hufflepuff table however –

"IT'S THOSE TWO BOYS FROM THE TRAIN!" a girl shrieked, pointing a hysterical finger at them. This prompted even more commotion as other people recognised them and screamed rancorous inputs of their own. The first years behind them celebrated in relief that Harry was still whole and sane, James laughing happily and cheerfully clapping Remus on the back.

Sirius held up Harry's hand triumphantly, as if they had just won the Quidditch World Cup. Obligingly the twins took a bow, rapidly escalating the situation by infuriating half the hall and entertaining the other.

"_ENOUGH_!" Professor McGonagall screeched, some of her dark hair coming loose from her bun, "_STOP THIS HULLABALOO THIS INSTANT_!" People returned to their seats looking thoroughly scolded and some form of norm returned to the Great Hall. "Mr. Black," McGonagall turned to Harry with gritted teeth, "take – your – seat." He hurriedly did as he was bid; sitting next to a grinning boy with brown freckles all over his face. The Professor shook the parchment out and opened her mouth to read the next name – then blanched, her eyes flicking up towards Sirius who was insanely grinning back. "Black, Sirius." She continued down the roll, "And no one dare say another word!"

But some people couldn't help themselves.

"No way…"

"_Another_ Black?"

"Twins or cousins, do you reckon?"

"Twins," Harry whispered, barely moving his mouth. A ripple of anticipation travelled down the Gryffindor table as students passed this information on. Harry watched with a twisting gut as Sirius gallantly swept the Sorting Hat onto his head. This was the moment that had been plaguing Harry for a while, now that he was sorted into Gryffindor, what would happen if his twin didn't join him? They would be separated…

Harry gazed at Sirius anxiously, unconsciously crossing his fingers under the table.

"Come on Siri…" he muttered, "come on…"

His twin appeared to be arguing with the hat. The twisting sensation got worse, Harry felt like he couldn't breathe. Then the mouth of the hat opened.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry cheered wildly with the other Gryffindors. Now that the hall had gotten over the shock of him, they were slightly more subdued.

"YES!" Sirius shouted jubilantly, taking off the Sorting Hat and throwing it up like he was at graduation, McGonagall squawked in indignation.

Sirius was greeted warmly by the other Gryffindors, some of them still throwing gloating comments at the Slytherins, who were hissing betrayed words at the twins. Harry leapt up elatedly to meet his brother.

"We did it!" Harry cried through another life-squeezing hug, "We did it!"

The Sorting calmed down after that, the red-head girl Lily Evans was also sorted into Gryffindor. Harry shifted to make space for her, beaming broadly, her eyes met his and a tentative smile graced her features – turning to a glare when she saw Sirius. The roll call continued.

"Greengrass, Alice!" A friendly looking girl with short light hair joined the new Gryffindors.

"Goldstein, William," went to Hufflepuff, as did Davey Gudgeon and Collin Hopkins.

"Higgs, Samantha," joined the Ravenclaws.

"Lupin, Remus!"

Harry perked up, watching as the hat touched the pale boy's head. It seemed to debate for some time before it yelled out Gryffindor. Exultantly, Harry congratulated his friend.

"Lestrange, Rabastan," went to Slytherin as did Gawain Montague,

"Malcolm, Caradoc," to Ravenclaw.

"Mulciber, Lockland," went to Slytherin as did Theodora Nott.

"Padma, Paul!" went to Ravenclaw.

"Parkinson, Lucinda," to Slytherin.

"Pettigrew, Peter," was next and the small chubby boy joined them at the Gryffindor table.

"Potter, James," was called. A gasp of horror filled the Great Hall as James stepped forward, and almost as one, all heads swung round to look at Harry and then back to James. James sat down on the stool confidently; the hat barely touched his head before declaring Gryffindor. Evan Rosier and the greasy-haired boy from the train, Severus Snape, went to the Slytherin table where Lucius Malfoy, a prefect badge gleaming on his robes, patted him on the back. Finally the sorting ended with Amycus Zabini being sorted into Ravenclaw and Abigail Anton into Hufflepuff.

Now that the nerves and elation were fading Harry could appreciate just how hungry he was, he looked down at the empty golden plate – the Pumpkin Pasties seemed an age ago. The noise in the Great Hall dropped suddenly and Harry looked up to see Albus Dumbledore get to his feet, the Headmaster spread his arms wide, beaming at the captivated students.

"Welcome! Welcome, both old and new, to another year at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry! I'm sure you're all hungry; so dig in before you get thin!" Everyone clapped and cheered the Professor as he sat back down, his piercing blue eyes twinkling over his glasses. Harry watched him for a moment more, trying to make sense of something completely illogical. _It couldn't have been Albus Dumbledore on the platform, why would it be? Besides the old man on the platform looked different, didn't he?_ Harry wasn't sure_, but the eyes – there's no mistaking the eyes… maybe the man was the Headmaster in disguise…_ Harry shook his head and turned away from the teachers table, _no, it's probably just a weird coincidence… like all the other weird coincidences that happened today… It's ridiculous anyway, why would Albus Dumbledore look me like that? Then again, why would anyone look at me like that? _

"Oi, 'Arry, you go'na eat, or wha'?" Sirius asked through his roast beef. Harry glanced up, his jaw dropped at the sight of so many mouth-watering delicious foods. All other thoughts wafted dreamily out of his head, filling up instead with the tantalising smell of the Hogwarts banquet. Not wasting another second, Harry ploughed heartily in.

Several minutes past before people began slowing down and conversation flowed.

"So, what? Are you guys like long lost triplets, or something?" the brown freckled boy next to Harry asked, "I'm Felix Summers, by the way, a third year,"

Harry frowned, "You mean James Potter?" James; who had been talking to Sirius, looked around at his name, "We just met on the–"

"You just met you say?" a thin girl leered at them from the other side of the Gryffindor table. Harry exchanged a look with Sirius and then raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yes…?"

"Ooh how creepy, you run into this guy who looks just like you," she gushed, waving her spoon around eccentrically, "That has to be impossible, unless of course he's like; your secret half brother – Oh my gosh!" She stared at the three boys' as if she'd just had a brainwave. The brunettes looked back apprehensively. "This is just like a soap opera!" she gasped.

Summers, on seeing the boys' confused faces, interjected, "You'll have to excuse Jorkins; she's not so bad when you get to know her. But she is a bit of a gossip, and I heard she got hooked on muggle television in the holidays."

"Ah," they said, not understanding at all.

"Oh, a Black and a Potter, a light and dark family. And both of them married too, oh, how awful for you! An indecent affair between two pure-blood families, both held in such high esteemed society. A fall from grace, it's positively scandalous!"

"Jorkins, will you shut up!" A boy with messy maroon hair scowled.

"What, Turpin!" Jorkins turned to him angrily.

"Stop scarring the first years with your incessant gossiping!"

"My incessant_ gossiping_?!"

"Yes! In fact, why don't you stop talking altogether?"

"_You_ Turpin are the rudest, most boorish uncouth I have _ever_ met–"

"And _you_ don't know when to shut your mouth!"

"I wasn't even talking to you! Maybe you should learn to _butt out_ of other people's conversations!"

"That's rich coming from you!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Turpin jabbed his fork in the twins and James' direction, "They don't need to hear about _his_ Dad doing _his_ Mum, or vice versa!"

Three sets of cutlery cluttered to the table, Harry and Sirius's jaws dropping wide open, James going a little green around the edges.

"Oh – _nice – _Turpin," Bertha Jorkins rolled her eyes, "just scream it to the world, why don't you."

What was left of the banquet disappeared and desert materialized in front of them. Harry, no longer feeling hungry after – _that_ – image, let his gaze drift around the Great Hall taking in more detail. On either side of the longer walls were large extravagant fireplaces roaring generous warmth around. Above each of the tables were the corresponding House banners, with each House's animal imprinted on it. Harry watched the gold lion pace over the red back-ground, bearing its teeth fiercely as its tail whipped back and forth.

He let another victorious smile spread across his face, and wondered how long it would take his Mother to find out. Harry looked over his shoulder turning to see the rest of the Great Hall. Behind the Gryffindor table was the Hufflepuff table, friendly looking children talked and chatted admirably. There were two boys playing a game of Gobstones between the trifle and the jam doughnuts. Next to them was a beaming beefy looking kid holding a large toad in his lap while he shovelled ice-cream into his mouth, the occasionally drop being gobbled up by the toad. Harry craned his neck to get a better look, realising he recognised it to be a South African Toad. His Great Aunt Cassiopeia Black had once owned one, they were ugly, squat, with orange swelled eyes that seemed to look in opposite directions, their throat flaps inflated as it breathed, and inside their wide mouth lolled a large purple tongue.

Shuddering Harry turned his attention to the Ravenclaw table behind the Hufflepuffs. He raised his eyebrows in disbelief, they had huddled into groups around books splayed over the table, already reading and studying, excitedly exchanging theories they'd come up with over the holidays. One guy had even balanced a huge plate of wobbling green jelly on one his books so he could eat and read at the same time. Shaking his head and feeling relieved that he wasn't in that House, Harry peered across the hall to the last table on the opposite side of the room. The Slytherin housemates were the most refined out of the four houses, quieter then the rest and eating with more dignity and formality.

"… Mahogany, 11 inches, pliable," James was saying to Sirius as Harry turned his attention back to his own table, James brazenly twirled his wand as he bragged, "and excellent for transfiguration. It took Mr. Ollivander nearly twenty minutes to find it."

Sirius scoffed, "That's nothing! Harry's wand took nearly forty-five minutes." The other Gryffindor first years turned to Harry in amazement.

"Forty-five minutes?"

"Really?"

"No way, you're just pulling our legs,"

"Nope, holly and phoenix feather, 11 inches," Harry went to take his wand out of his pocket, but as he did something else fell out with it, his instincts reacted and he caught it on reflex. _Phew, that could have been ugly_, Harry thought thankfully, swapping it to his other hand. He put his wand on the table for everyone to see, and the other first years began examining and exclaiming over it.

Harry looked down at the thing in his hand, rolling it from one side of his palm to the other, and a wicked smile slowly formed across his face. His eyes flicked up to meet those of his brother. Sirius saw the familiar grin and cocked his head enquiringly, Harry held up Sapphire's Bouncy Boomerang Ball in answer, twiddling it between two fingers. Sirius bared his teeth in a wild grin, then closed his eyes and stretched, folding his hands behind his head.

"Hey Potter," Sirius said, not moving. James glanced up, eyes narrowing at Sirius's sudden change in demeanour.

"Yes?"

Sirius's blue-grey eyes snapped open and his grin stretched even wider.

"You're gonna lose."

James's brow creased quizzically – and then cleared in realisation, eyes widening behind his glasses. Sirius inclined his head slightly in Harry's direction, and James spun around, looking like a deer trapped in a bright light. Harry spun the ball up once, easily catching it in one hand and winking at James – then he tossed the cat toy hard over his shoulder.

Now it should be mentioned here in Harry's defence, that he didn't actually intend things to go the way they did. When he threw the ball; he figured it would bounce hectically around the room, rebounding off the walls and candles, causing mayhem across the four houses as people suddenly became well acquainted with their sticky deserts, hitting students – such as Malfoy – in the head, and generally annoying the hell out of the teachers while everyone else got a good laugh – you know the usual ordinary-prank-during-a-feast-thing. However, Harry forgot one very important fact, something which everyone else has probably all realised by now.

The word 'Ordinary' squeals and flees to Finnland at the mere mention of the Black twins.

Meanwhile words like 'Extreme Havoc' and, 'Sanity Hazard' dance the cha-cha wherever the twins go.

So the Bouncy Boomerang Ball got no further then the Hufflepuff table before randomonium stepped in.

**TBT**

The little ball spun in a blur of colours, twisting as it spilt the air, going unseen by the majority of the school population. Only one swelled orange eye followed its careering progress. The South African Toad saw the Boomerang Bouncy Ball and naturally assumed that it was something tasty – so its great purple tongue snapped out like a striking snake and wrapped around the bright cat toy. Its bizarre eyes bludged at the unpleasant taste, and it was thrown off-guard… though soon it had higher problems to think about. The Bouncy Ball continued to fly through the air, now with a huge toad tongue attached to it like a lead – and the tongue's owner flying splayed-legged behind it.

"Mr. Spongy!" The Hufflepuff boy, who had been holding him, gaped in astonishment as his pet took off.

The Bouncy Ball hit the Ravenclaw table and rebounded off a spoon, flinging it out of a trifle and into the air. A moment later, Mr. Spongy hit the Ravenclaw table, combusting the trifle, before being tugged airborne again. The ball rocketed into a plate of mint humbugs on the Slytherin table, catapulting some of them into the large fireplace behind the table. An instant later the toad crashed into a pitcher of pumpkin juice, sending it, and the rest of the humbugs aloft. Slytherins dove out the way, and the plate and pitcher smashed into the fireplace.

_FLUROAR_!

With an enormous roaring the fireplace erupted, flames shooting to the enchanted ceiling and the Slytherin banner – which hung there – instantly caught fire. The imprinted snake squealed, slithering desperately around the burning green frame. The ropes holding it up snapped and the banner flapped down onto the table, the snake wailing in fright. A fourth year Slytherin leapt up, pulling her wand out and thrusting it at the burning house banner.

"_Aguamenti_!" she screamed, and a stream of water came out… no, a river of water… a rapid river, that is… no wait, a raging torrent of water… make that half of Niagara Falls…

"For Merlin's sake_, _someone_ stop her_!" A Ravenclaw boy hollered as the flash flood of water consumed the tables. Obviously, Merlin was having a bath or something that evening, as the water just kept on coming; the Slytherin girl stood frozen, staring at her wand in a mortified stupor as it ruthlessly gushed. 

Frantic students climbed on top of the tables, struggling over one another, girls shrieked shrilly (and some boys too), and deserts were scattered in the desperate clamour. The teachers called for order, but soon abandoned that to stand on their own tables, holding their robes aloft from the rapidly increasing water. The Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables began to float upwards, much to their housemates' alarm, before overturning completely and drifting around upside-down. Harry was crouched on the Gryffindor along with everybody else, but his attention was elsewhere. His eyes were following the descent of the Boomerang Bouncy Ball which was living up to its name and returning… unfortunately it still had the minor problem of Mr. Spongy being attached to it. Making a split decision at the last second, Harry ducked, and the Ball splashed into the water, finally bobbing to a stop. The South African Toad belly-flopped in behind it, sending the water spurting in an explosive style, and drenching half the Hufflepuffs. Someone wrestled the wand out of the Slytherin girl's hand, and the water gurgled to a halt. The murmurs of several hundred shocked students and teachers flowed back and forth, as they gazed around at the flooded Great Hall. Chairs floated around in the dessert-tinted water, Gobstones drifted arbitrarily, and ruined books swam dismally about.

The newest Gryffindors were standing around Harry, all of them speechless. Then Sirius gave a low whistle and smirked at Harry, opening his mouth to comment. The words died on his lips though at the petrified look on Harry's face.

"Harry?" Sirius nudged him.

Harry made a half-strangled noise. He drew a shaky breath, and tried again, his eyes fixed on the water. "Siri," he said hoarsely, "Remember Aunt Cassiopeia – how she had that toad?"

"Yeah…?" Sirius prompted.

"Remember when I – I spilt that glass of water on it?"

Sirius paled.

"Oh–" he choked.

Harry nodded grimly, "Yeah. Oh."

Across the water on the Hufflepuff table, the large boy who owned the toad was feverishly gibbering something to his fellow housemates, and they were now all looking on the edge of panic. And for good reason too. The South African Toad wasn't called 'Mr. Spongy' for nothing.

A green bubble rose to the surface where the toad and the ball had disappeared, it burst with a loud wet 'plop' sound, silencing the murmurs of the students and teachers. Several more quickly followed it, and the water took on a smoky-green tinge, clouding the water around the toad. The water was bubbling – no – _boiling._ Thick steam was rising quickly as the water rapidly became wilder, thrashing about as the smoky-green grew brighter, until it was glowing in a sickly fluorescent colour. The water was thrashing so much now that the long house tables were being pushed back by the current, a horrible stench filled the air like rotten eggs, and still the water raged. Although now it was also starting to swirl around, as if someone had pulled the plug out.

Moving as if in a trance, Harry and Sirius half-heartedly grabbed James, Remus, and Lily's arms, pulling them back from the edge – though this almost certainly wouldn't make a difference. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the boiling cosmos before them, waiting to see what would emerge. And then it did.

Two grotesquely swelled orange eyes rose up out of the water – each easily twice the size of Harry's head, and growing. Someone starting screaming as more of the great toad was revealed, water dripping off its slimy, lumpy body. It wasn't just getting bigger; the water was going down, being sucked inside its wide gaping mouth as well as through its skin. Harry was half-aware that some of the teachers were casting spells, trying to vanquish the water before Mr. Spongy sucked it up. Some were trying to hex the toad, but the spells just rebounded off the leathery skin.

The table suddenly quaked beneath the student's feet, causing them to cry in alarm and fall backwards on top of one another. Harry unfortunately landed under Sirius, with Remus across his feet, Lily's hair in his mouth, and several unnamed knees and elbows poking him in the back and sides. But the worst part was the squashed treacle tart next to his face – simply tragic. The table shuddered again, and then completely lifted up on one side, causing everybody on it to slide down. Lily screamed in Harry's ear, temporarily deafening him, but he had enough sense of mind to grab onto the edge of the table. Everyone else tumbled into the now waist-high, desert tinted water, except for Harry who – for the second time that day – was hanging above an undesirable end.

He swung his other hand up and grabbed the top of the table, hauling himself up so to look over. The same thing had happened to the Hufflepuff table; Harry could only see the underbelly of it. But he was more concerned with a rather more bloated belly in front of him. Mr. Spongy now towered above him, rising to the roof of the Great Hall; the water swirled around the giant amphibian's legs as it continued to drink.

"Harry! Harry!" Someone was yelling from down below. Harry turned his head to see Sirius frantically splashing around in the water searching for him.

"Siri!" Harry called, he stretched out his leg to tap his brother on the shoulder with his shoe, and Sirius spun around, "up here yo–"

Harry was cut off as the table rocked backwards, tipping upside-down. Gryffindors screamed and scrambled out of the way, narrowly avoiding a huge head-ache. Harry clamoured up the side of the table, nimble hands grabbing a table leg and hoisting himself onto the underside of the table, barely managing to slide his legs up before the table splashed down. The house table floated, overturned, its many legs pointing towards the Enchanted Ceiling. Students crawled onto the table and out of the water; a very wet Sirius flopped next to Harry.

Everyone slapped their hands over their ears as a colossal gurgling, slurping noise filled the air. Mr. Spongy's massive head bumped the floating candles out of the way as its whole body swelled and engorged like a balloon. Students exclaimed loudly as the tables floated downwards until the wood scraped the flagstones beneath. The toad slurped up the dregs with a monstrous purple tongue, Broad puddles lay here and there throughout the hall, nearly everyone aside from Harry and some of the teachers were soaked through and lay shivering on the tables.

A thick silence overtook the Great Hall, all eyes on the gigantic South African Toad that now squatted in the middle of the floor. It's huge bloated stomach bludged and quivered like a massive plate of really rank jelly, but it seemed to be in pain. Its wide and panicky orange eyes were bigger then the hoops on Quidditch goals, and if it could talk, Harry was pretty sure it would be saying, '_Oh crap_.'

A tremor went through the immense belly.

Realisation was dawning on a few people and they began shouting again and lunging for nearby table legs.

"Sweet Mother of Merlin…" Harry whispered.

"IT'S GONNA BLOW!" Sirius howled. And then it did.

The world around Harry erupted with screams, as the Great Toad relented and opened its mouth. Just like tons of water breaking free from a dam, it surged forward, sweeping up everything in its path – including the four house tables. The raging flood crashed into the Great hall's doors, but luckily they buckled and splintered, flying off the hinges before the raft-like house tables reached them. It was like white-water-rafting in a canoe – with no oars. There was nothing to do but hang on for the ride.

The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table shot out first, sailing into the Entrance hall. The Gryffindor table slammed up against the Slytherin table as they were both carried out the hall. Harry was screaming along with the rest of them as he clung to a table leg. Still yelling, he looked next to him where Snape was doing the same, Snape met his gaze and they yelled at each other, before turning back and yelling as the two tables suddenly dipped and shot down a flight of stairs.

"Yippee!" a nearby portrait cheered as it was washed off the wall. The heads on the suits of armour turned towards the raging torrent, and the mouth guards on their helmets fell open, right before they were swallowed by the flood. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were nowhere to be seen, having been washed down another corridor, but then the Gryffindors and Slytherins were just a little preoccupied with their own predicament.

"DUCK!"

"Where?"

_Clunk!_

"Oooh…" Harry winced in sympathy for the poor student who'd been hit with a chandelier. Then his stomach dropped through his toes as the tables plunged down another staircase, rebounding off a wall in a shower of spray.

"Oh no!" wailed the first year Alice Greengrass, her brown eyes wide. Up ahead was a doorway only wide enough for one of the tables. A new wave of screams rose from the students.

"EVERYBODY PADDLE!" the Gryffindor Prefect yelled, whipping out his wand with one hand and using it to propel the table forward.

"No! We're going first!" Lucius snarled; pulling out his own wand, all semblance of dignity washed away with the desert.

"Are you insane!" a Gryffindor girl yelped, "Don't be such an idiot, let us go first!"

"What, leaving us to crash into the wall?! Yeah, right!"

"Yeah exactly right! Else you'll crash us BOTH into the wall!" the Prefect yelled back.

"So slow down and let us go first!"

The Gryffindor Prefect rolled his eyes, exasperated, "Sure! I'll just get the _brake,_ shall I?!"

"Idiotic Gryffindork!"

"Dirty Slytherat!"

The two Prefects glared at each other as the water eagerly rushed forward to a perilous end, completely oblivious to the screaming students.

"EVERYBODY LEAN LEFT!" Felix Summers suddenly roared from the other-side of Harry, and mostly on reflex people did as they were told (except for the few who inevitably leaned right). The Gryffindor table swung to the side, scrapping the wall as it shot down a side corridor, heading straight for – A WINDOW!

"Harry!" Sirius said from next to Harry.

"Yeah?!"

"I just wanted to say…!"

"_Yeah_?!"

"That I…!"

"WHAT?!"

"I BLAME THAT DEMON CAT!"

The table shattered the window and flew out into the dark night. A beautiful view of the starry sky hit their eyes with the half- moon glowing between the shadows of clouds. Then gravity stepped in and they all tumbled down to the inky depths of the Black Lake...

**TBT**

…Okay, it wasn't that far to fall, only fifteen feet or so.

By some miracle Harry managed to stay on the table, his arms and legs splayed out to brace himself, and his hands in a white-knuckle grip on the table legs. Funnily enough he was more scared now then he had been when hanging from the rail on the _Hogwarts Express. _One by one the soaked children climbed back onto the still upturned table, but some were splashing around in the water despite the cold, and laughing their heads off. James, now next to Harry, was excitedly telling anyone listening that the Giant Squid had pushed him up. Remus clamoured easily back onto the table and lay gasping in the middle. Lily was scowling and attempting to dry out her hair, while Alice giggled next to her. Pettigrew had collapsed in a shivering heap in the corner. A drenched shape awkwardly paddled to the table, dragged itself up, and shook its hair – spraying everyone in near vicinity.

"Oi, Sirius!" James protested, wiping his glasses with his fingers. Sirius just gave his usual canine grin as he panted for breath.

"Now _that_! Mr. Potter," Sirius addressed James proudly, "was one of _Harry's _pranks!"

James' mouth fell open, and he started spluttering, his head wrenching around to look at the other Black boy.

"Sirius," Harry said in a falsely sweet voice.

"Yes, oh insanely wonderful wrecker of havoc, and chaos inducing brother of mine?"

"Please shut up."

Remus snorted into laughter, the rest of them followed soon after.

**TBT**

The night stars twinkled through the enchanted ceiling, the light of the half-moon casting a blue tinge over the now nearly empty Great Hall. The students had been sent up to bed a while ago, leaving the Professors to clean up the mess, using their wands to levitate the chairs back into place. By the teachers table the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress watched over the proceedings.

"I don't believe this, Albus," Professor McGonagall said, "never has something like this happened before,"

Dumbledore regarded her patiently, "You are right, of course."

"To not even find the culprit – that just makes it worse. And do you hear about the riot on the _Hogwarts Express_? Who in Merlin's name is capable of such wide-scale mayhem?"

"It is a mystery indeed. However, I have a hunch that it might have something to do with our new first years,"

"The first years?" McGonagall repeated sceptically, "impossible." The Headmaster just raised a white eyebrow, and her face took on a look of horror. "You're serious? But it's only their first day. Who would… the sorting… those _Blacks_?!"

"Perhaps," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "though we have no proof."

"We can't just let this go, Albus!"

"I think we can, as you said, it is only their first day. It might have been an accident,"

Professor McGonagall groused, "Oh dear, what has Hogwarts got itself into?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled, "Your guess is as good as mine, Minerva. Though I have a feeling that… this day marks an era unlike anything Hogwarts has ever seen before…"

**TBT**

A/N

And so… it begins… (Mwahaha)

Phew, that was insanely long, but I just wanted to get through the first day : )

So what? Good? Not good?

Too long? (sweat-drops) Too short? (chokes in disbelief)

Needs work, or working well? A real win, or the loony bin?

You tell me XD R&R please.

XX – Mel


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